


Kit

by WithDemonWings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animal Transformation, Character Bashing, Complete, F/M, M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-14
Updated: 2012-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-29 12:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 37,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/320043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithDemonWings/pseuds/WithDemonWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry didn't mean to become an animal, and he certainly didn't mean to get attached to Snape but he did and he had. He had no idea how he'd come by his furry problem and he didn't know how to get rid of it, or if he even wanted to...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am gimpy when it comes to this stuff... yes it was posted, but then in trying to delete a chapter because it wasn't formatting properly I deleted the entire thing... oops.

Harry woke slowly, relishing the heat that surrounded him. He was always cold and despite the warm weather he could never really get warm enough. His blankets at the Dursley’s were always thin and threadbare and when he was at school he never had time to relish in just being warm.

He rumbled in contentment as he stretched everything all at once, from the tips of his fingers to his toes. He stumbled to his feet and shook himself before turning in a circle and curling up on his other side.

The low rumble of a purr lulled him back to sleep.

Lately, though, it hadn’t been out of the ordinary since Crookshanks had taken to sleeping with him most nights.

=^.^=

The next time Harry woke he was flying through the air.

 _How had that happened?_

Then the high pitched screeching reached his sensitive ears,

‘Get away from my precious kitty!’

Then a foot came at him and he tried to dodge it but he was caught up in his own legs because there were too many of them, and the foot caught him in his ribs sending him through the air again.

Harry landed with an indignant squawk and the stones bit into his flesh, even through the fur.

 _Wait. What? Fur!?!?!_

 ‘That retched beast is probably ridden with fleas and diseases,’ the voice Harry vaguely recognized suddenly gave a pained howl.

A ball of ginger fur landed near Harry and positioned itself over Harry, hissing and growling at the human.

‘ _Petricifius-_ ’

He spell was cut off by a smooth and too calm, ‘Miss Granger, surely not.’

Harry had never been so glad to Professor Snape in his life, except maybe that one time when Snape had been shirtless....

They, Harry and Snape, had managed to sort out their difference with a long night of talking –yelling things out; and while they weren’t exactly friends, they weren’t at each other’s throats like they had been.

‘Professor?’ Hermione actually looked afraid of the older man as she held her wand behind her back.

‘Really, I would have thought you would have had more sense than that,’ he drawled, ’75 points from Gryffindor, for the abuse of animals, mishandling of your familiar and for disrespecting your professor. You’ll also have detention for two months with Filch,’ he stated.

Hermione looked like she was going to protest or argue, or something, but the growling that came from her own cat behind her had her keeping silent.

‘I suggest you leave the feline alone,’ Snape stated when she reached for Crookshanks, who was poised to attack.

Hermione finally actually looked at her cat, and was surprised to see his fur had bristled, making him appear even larger than he was; his ears were back and his teeth were bared as he stood over the small white and black injured kitten that was huddled under him.

All the colour drained from her face as she realized what had happened, what she had done. She covered her mouth with a hand before fleeing into the castle.

Snape sighed and looked around; making sure no one was watching him. It wouldn’t do for the students to find out that he had a soft spot for injured animals.

The ginger ball had relaxed slightly when Hermione had run off but was still protective of the small kitten under him.

Snape thought it odd behaviour for the half kneazle but shrugged mentally. There was no explaining the behaviour of some animals.

‘Relax friend, I only want to help the little one. He looks like he’s hurt,’ Snape said softly as he crouched in front of the cat, holding his hand out for Crookshanks to sniff.

The ginger cat gave the dark man a hard look, studying him before revealing the small, injured kitten he had been protecting.

Snape was gentle in his examination of the small kitten, and he now knew why Granger had been so violent with the kitten. It was no excuse, but for someone who hadn’t ever seen a full blooded Kneazle it was a bit of a shock. They were actually quite cute; they had little tufts of fur on the tips of their ears and they looked like miniature lions with bushy manes and short body fur. Even their two tails had a tuft of fur on the end.

Though at the moment, the kitten didn’t have the full mane that an adult Kneazle had.

‘I don’t have anything for him on me, but I can help him in my lab,’ Snape spoke the large orange cat like he would to another person. It had been something he’s started as a boy and had never really grown out of.

Harry let Snape gently pet him, enjoying the massage, that was, of course, until Snape hit a very sore spot and he lashed out at the hand.

Harry flinched, he knew that Snape was only trying to help but it had _hurt_!

‘I’m sorry little one,’ Snape soothed, Harry gave a pitiful meow, and Crookshanks had batted at Snape’s hand, as if he wanted to say, “fine, help him” but there was also a low growl that told Severus he better not hurt the poor kitten anymore than he already was.

‘I only want to help,’ Severus repeated, as he carefully picked up the kitten and wrapped him in a large handkerchief to keep him warm.

If anyone thought that the well known Gryffindor feline following the surly potions master odd, they didn’t say anything about it.


	2. Chapter 2

Holding the kitten firmly, but gently, Severus was careful not to jostle him, something  that Harry was grateful for because everything _hurt_.

Soon enough Severus had a bed made for the injured kitten in his private, no students allowed, laboratory.

Instead of leaving the frightened kitten alone, because the poor thing was shaking like a leaf; Severus summoned what he needed his lab.

Crookshanks hopped onto the desk, intent on watching the dark man and his kit.

He knew this kitten was the dark haired human that was often with his own human, but he had no way of helping him, other than keeping him safe.

His human had recently begun treating everything and everyone she had held dear badly; putting them down like she’d begun to do with the dark haired boy, and ignoring them like she’d done to Crookshanks, which was why the ginger cat had taken to Harry as he had. He was gentle and kind; he brushed him and fed him when he wanted something other than rodent.

When his human wasn’t ignoring Harry or putting him down she was spending more and more time with the red headed one that was always trying to blame things on Crookshanks. He huffed; he wasn’t the only feline that liked to use the red heads shoes as a waste receptacle.

Crookshanks shook himself back to his kitten and the dark haired man.

The kitten was curled up on the makeshift bed, asleep. Crookshanks gave Snape a curious, if concerned, look as the man gently scratched behind the kitten’s ears.

‘He’ll be okay, he just needs to rest a while,’ Snape offered without looking at the other cat.

Crookshanks butted his head against Snape’s hand before rubbing against his arm. With a meow he curled around the kitten, intent on keeping him safe.

=^.^=

Snape was glad for his animal mastery and grateful to Hagrid for allowing him to study with him and for tutoring Snape in all things animal.

He set up the cot he kept here for when he had to keep an eye on volatile potions or when he wanted to get away from Albus and his meddling ways.

=^.^=

Harry woke for the second time surrounded by orange fur. Something he wasn’t totally opposed to because it made him feel safe, warm and wanted.

He was still sore but it wasn’t like yesterday when it had hurt too much to move; now it was like he had just started a very intense workout.

Harry stretched and clamoured out of the ginger cushion and explored the table he was on, butting his head against Crookshanks before he ventured to the other side. Crookshanks watched him wearily.

He didn’t get very far before he settled on the edge of the table watching Snape as he slept. The man looked... younger, softer.

At Snape’s sudden, wordless cry, Harry scampered back into an alert and slightly irate Crookshanks.

Severus sat on the edge of the cot, the blanket across his lap and his head in his hands. Harry moved back to the edge of the desk and gave a soft meow.

It was Snape’s turn to be confused as his head shot up and he went for his wand.

Before he could cast anything Harry, as Kit, gave another soft meow. Severus gave a soft chuckle and lowered his wand as he moved to the desk, and Harry.

‘Don’t you look much better,’ he stated as he scratched behind Kit’s ears. Harry couldn’t help himself, his eyes fell closed and he purred, leaning into the touch.

‘I’m just going to make sure everything’s as it should be,’ Severus offered softly as he gently probed the tender sides. Harry mewled when Snape hit a tender spot.

Severus winced in sympathy, ‘I’m sorry, Kit,’ he soothed. ‘A little more medicine and more rest and you’ll be right as rain,’ he offered. He fed Kit and the older cat glared at Snape before the human summoned an elf with a bowl of food for Crookshanks.

The ginger cat sniffed it; it was the same stuff that the younger dark haired human had fed him. He batted his head against the older man and purred softly before he ate.

He left the cats on the table and headed into his rooms.

Harry set about trying to examine the room he was in but he couldn’t get off the table, it was _way_ too high.

Crookshanks left his food to take Harry by the scruff of his neck and hopped onto a chair then to the ground where he deposited Harry before going back to his breakfast.

When Snape returned to his lab Crookshanks was sitting on the table cleaning himself as Kit struggled to climb the blanket to get onto the cot.

‘What are you trying to do?’ Severus asked the kitten who was trying to climb the blanket and get himself unstuck at the same time, neither plan seemed to be working very well.

Harry gave an undignified squawk and struggled even more as Snape tried to pry him from the blanket.

‘Relax, little one, I only want to help,’ Snape said softly. Holding the blanket down with his foot he lifted the cat from the blanket. If Harry could have he would have been blushing furiously. As it was he simply buried himself in Snape when the man held him tightly.

‘Why did you want up here?’ Snape asked setting Kit on the cot.

 _I wanted to know what smelled so good,_ Harry replied, not that Snape could hear him. It took Harry a moment to realize that the smell was Snape himself. It was an odd smell, coconuts and burnt matches, there was an under note of something purely Snape. Coconuts were something that Harry never would’ve associated with Snape, but somehow it seemed to fit.

Severus chuckled softly as the kitten scrambled up his arm to his neck where the feline sniffed his neck, tickling him with his whiskers before perching himself on Snape’s shoulder purring in contentment.

Snape, and the kitten, headed up to the great hall, Crookshanks following behind them.

All through breakfast Harry stayed on Snape’s shoulder despite the giggles from the students and the amused smirks from his colleagues. They both ignored Albus’ all-knowing twinkle.

The sole reason that Severus had brought the kitten up into the great hall was so that whichever loathsome, snivelling, irritating child owned it could come and claim the small furry beast he had grown absurdly fond of in the course of a night.

Much to Severus’ internal delight, no one did.

‘It’s high time you claimed a familiar, Severus,’ Albus stated as Severus stood to leave.

‘He’s far too young for that yet,’ Severus stated before he billowed out of the great hall, ignoring that retched twinkle.


	3. Chapter 3

Much to Severus’ joy, Kit spent most of the classes asleep on his desk, or in his desk. When he wasn’t asleep he would sit quietly, watching the students.

The students would fawn over the kitten as soon as they saw him but it only took one swipe of Kit’s sharp claws or a bite from his pointy teeth for the students to think twice about trying to pet him.

That evening Kit was perched on Severus’ shoulder all through dinner. No one really gave him a second glance as stories of how Kit was a vicious little beast made the rounds. Severus beamed with pride for the little blighter, both internally and externally. He was only less snarky than usual but he was still happier than normal.

Harry hated all the attention as a human and he hated the attention as a cat even more. They all wanted to _touch_ him and there was only one human – one man – that he wanted to touch him as a human or as a cat. He knew he didn’t hate Snape, not for a while anyway but – he _was_ grateful to the man that had saved him and healed him.

He liked sitting on Snape’s shoulder, especially now that he knew that Snape’s hair wasn’t as greasy as it appeared to be, it was quite soft actually, especially early in the day, before he spent all day over a cauldron.

=^.^=

Crookshanks was waiting for them by the portrait to Snape’s room when they returned from dinner, and Harry was trying to get the courage to jump from Severus’ shoulder but it was even higher than the table.

Snape gave a low chuckle, and Harry marvelled at how often the man actually did that, and he helped Kit from his shoulder. The kitten bound over to the older, larger cat and pounced on him, or tried to.

The door opened and Crookshanks meandered in as Harry bounded in, turned and come back again only to twine himself around Severus’ feet.

Crookshanks settled himself and Kit tried to get the other feline to play but the older cat wasn’t interested. Snape charmed a toy mouse and let Kit chase it around the room while he marked papers and Crookshanks did what any self respecting cat would do. He found the most comfortable spot closest to the fire and kept an eye on the mouse as he pretended to sleep.

Harry had never felt so _light_ as he did in that moment as he chased the toy around. It was liberating.

No one noticed that they hadn’t seen Harry all day.

=^.^=

As Snape made his way to his classroom, he kept up a rather impressive rant about of the idiocy of Dumbledore for pairing this certain Slytherin class with its Gryffindor counterpart. Granted the most troublesome student was gone, they were still a volatile class. Not as volatile as they had been, but there was still tension despite the truce from its two most prolific students.

Draco was free of the curse that his mother had kept on him and Lucius. Now they were both like the young boys that Severus remembered. They were curious, giving yet proud and loyal.

He watched the students work and realized that one of those prolific students was missing.

‘Why has Mister Potter decided to not attend my class?’ He asked the class suddenly.

No one replied and they all looked anywhere but at Snape as most of them tried to remember the last time they had seen Harry.

Harry, who’d been dozing lightly on the desk, perked up at his name. He had defeated the Dark Lord not six months ago and now, no one, at least his two best friends, seemed to care about him anymore.

‘Professor?’ Draco said, breaking the silence.

‘What is it Mister Malfoy?’ he replied coolly.

‘I saw him, the day before yesterday, he was in the library, trying to study but Weasley was irritating him. He had asked me for help with his Runes. Weasley kept ragging on him so Potter told him off and left the library,’ he replied, glaring at Granger, ‘she,’ he loaded the word with disdain as he nodded to her, ‘was there too. She’d kicked Longbottom and Finnigan from Harry’s table so she and Ron could alternate between snogging and ignoring Har-Potter.’

Granger snorted in derision, whether it was because of the claim that Harry had asked Draco for help or that he’d been studying Snape didn’t know, but he didn’t care because Kit was hissing at Hermione.

‘Has anyone seen Potter more recently than the day before yesterday?’ Snape asked as he picked up the agitated kitten and tried to calm him.

The entire class shook their heads no together.

Snape sighed internally as he snapped at them to get to work.

He didn’t notice that the cat in his arms got that much more agitated when he was closer to Granger.

Several of the muggleborns decided that he looked rather villainous as he stalked the classroom with the agitated feline.

=^.^=

At the end of class, Granger had approached Severus’ desk fearfully. She eyed the kitten who was sitting tensely on the desk as it growled a softly warning.

‘Professor Snape?’ she asked almost too softly for the man to hear.

‘What is it Granger? I’m very busy,’ he snapped as he slammed the drawer he had slid the classes written work in.

She whimpered, ‘I was just wondering if you’ve seen my cat, he’s name is Crookshanks and he’s got orange fur and a flat-’

‘As invigoratingly irritating as it is to listen to you, I do know what your cat looks like,’ Snape cut her off with an impatient sneer. ‘He has spent the day with the kitten that you almost killed,’ he knew he was being harsh, however in the last few days this student had shown animals more care than her so called friend. Snape, himself, was more inclined to animals but Granger had been stuck like glue to Potter’s side since that incident with the troll.

‘Do you think I could have him back?’ she asked, fighting to keep her tears at bay.

Severus couldn’t help himself; he sighed and massaged the bridge of his noise, as smart as this girl was she could be incredibly stupid sometimes.

‘Miss Granger, I have not _taken_ your familiar to punish you or at all, he has simply been worried about the kitten that was injured,’ he replied.

‘But he hasn’t mated with another cat! He doesn’t have any kittens,’ she blurted.

‘And you know this how? As far as I know that half Kneazle monstrosity has been roaming the school and the grounds freely for the last three years.’

Hermione blushed, ‘I just, I’d know,’ she stammered lamely as Severus raised an eyebrow.

‘You’re cat is free to do as he pleases, I don’t know why, but he has chosen not to return to you at this time, I would suggest you let him be until he is ready to do so,’ he offered.

Hermione burst into tears finally.

Severus winced, he had a vicious headache blossoming behind his eyes. ‘Why haven’t you shown this much concern for your missing friend?’ he asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

‘That little faggot isn’t my friend!’ she snarled through her tears.

’Twenty points for your disrespect, now get out!’ he barely controlled himself in his anger. She wasn’t the friend he thought she was if Harry not fitting into her mould was enough for her to disown him. He briefly wondered if she’d tried to seduce him and he’d turned her down.

She huffed and stormed out, ignoring her tears.

=^.^=

Kit, who had been sitting on Snape’s shoulder, moved down to his arm to his lap as a hand blindly searched for the ball of fur. Each taking and offering what comfort they could.

‘That boy has done more for that girl than she’ll ever know, just because he won’t sleep with her doesn’t mean he’s a homosexual,’ he muttered. ‘It could just mean he’s anti-skank,’ he added causing the kitten to actually choke, Harry would have laughed himself silly if he could.

Harry appreciated the defence, but he knew he appreciated his own gender and had told Hermione that when she tried to crawl into bed with him.

He thought back to the summer, he had learned a lot from Corey. The muggle boy had moved in across from the Dursley’s and he and Harry had just sort of clicked together. When they weren’t stuck doing chores for someone they were together and Corey had shown Harry the delights of the male body. Harry knew they weren’t meant to be but he appreciated the other boy and would always be grateful to him.

As Harry forgot about Hermione’s idiocy and remembered Corey’s tenderness he began to purr and Snape’s deft finger’s lulled him into light doze as the potion master sat correcting papers for a time before he began to scribble notes and what not, not staying on anyone subject for too long.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a staff meeting after dinner that night and Severus was most definitely _not_ looking forward to it. He wanted to bring Kit with him, but he knew then that nothing would get done with the kitten around so he left Kit where he was, asleep on a pile of papers that hadn’t been corrected yet. The little beast had an obsession with lying on parchment, especially those that Severus was trying to write on.

Crookshanks hadn’t moved from in front of the fire, save to turn around.

He grumbled irritably all the way up to the staff room that was across the hall from Albus’ gargoyle. He found his customary seat in a dark corner closest to the door and scowled at anyone who even looked like they were thinking of asking him anything. He silently debated the merits of bringing Kit, since the feline seemed to keep him from raging poetic about the idiots he was surrounded by.

Hooch began the monthly torture with a request for new school brooms, just like the last four staff meetings. Severus wasn’t as opposed to this as most of them thought, namely because he didn’t want to be the one that had to tell distraught parents that their precious progeny had perished using piss-poor provisions. Severus smirked to himself, oh what he had to do for entertainment.

Hagrid was propositioning for an assistant, he wasn’t quite as able-bodied as he used to be and he had more duties then he could handle. Severus wondered if he’d talked to the Weasley yet, Charmander or Charagon or Charlemagne, which seemed the most sensible of the names, since he couldn’t work with dragons anymore but the two legged vexations couldn’t be as troublesome as dragons, could they? He would have to find out. Maybe dragons were easier to work with.

McGonagall was now going on about how beneficial it would be to have the seventh years with the ability learn how to become an animagus. Severus snorted in derision, because the vexations weren’t already living like zoo animals.

Weasley, Charagon’s brother he didn’t know this one’s name either, they really all looked the same, wanted to know if he could take the kids on field trips. He stopped listening completely after that.

Not a single one of them mentioned Potter or his absence. He scowled at nothing as he tried to figure out what had happened to Harry and why he was so worried. _And when had the brat become_ Harry? His scowl deepened.

‘-rus?’

Severus glared at Albus, ‘what?’ he snapped.

‘Was there anything you wanted to add?’ the older man asked, concern tinting the twinkle.

‘Did anyone notice that Potter wasn’t in class today?’ he blurted angrily.

It took a moment but several pairs of eyes all widened in surprise as McGonagall, Weasley and Vector tried to remember if they had seen Harry in their class.

‘Just because the boy has done the job you all foisted on his young shoulders doesn’t mean he doesn’t still need an education,’ he ranted.

It was Minerva that cut him off, bristling with indignation, ‘I wasn’t neglecting the boy, I was giving him some time,’ she stated.

‘Time for what?’ he snarled.

‘Time to figure out what he wanted to do!’ she exploded, ‘I know he doesn’t want to be an Auror anymore, I don’t think he expected to survive the fight, but he did and now he has no idea what he wants to do with himself,’ she replied, her fierceness dwindling as she spoke. ‘However I don’t know about the rest of them,’ she added with a nod to the rest of their colleagues.

Severus decided that he would have a talk with her later. After all these years as colleagues she still managed to surprise him.

‘Well then,’ Albus began, breaking the moment, ‘tomorrow after breakfast, if he still hasn’t returned, we shall talk to young Mr Potter’s friends,’ he announced, before Severus could protest, Albus held up a hand.  ‘It is late, Severus, we will work better in the morning, after we’ve all had some rest.’

As much as Severus hated to admit it, the old man was right.

Albus twinkled at Severus, and the younger man scowled, _irritating old sod_.

Severus stormed from the staffroom, and almost collided with Neville Longbottom, who managed to trip and land on his backside.

‘I’m sorry,’ the boy blurted before he realized who he had almost run over.

‘There was no harm done, Mr. Longbottom,’ he replied, helping the young man to his feet.

Now that the boy wasn’t in his class, and he didn’t have to worry about him blowing something up, he was much more tolerant of the boy. Harry had also made Snape see just how talented the boy was in Herbology, and his ineptitude in his own class made a weird sort of sense. Some of Snape’s best ingredients came from the plants that Longbottom had grown.

‘What seems to be the problem?’ Snape asked.

‘I was trying to find the headmaster, I think something happened to Harry, no one’s seen him in a day or so, I thought, well, I don’t know what I thought...’ he trailed off.

‘We already know about Potter,’ he said gently. ‘Tomorrow we will be asking around to see if anyone has any idea about what happened to him,’ he had no idea why he was telling this boy, but he figured it had something to do with the fact that Neville had been the only other person to realize that Harry was missing.

Neville studied Snape for a moment trying to figure out the older man.

‘He really does respect you sir,’ the teenager said before he turned to leave. ‘Good night professor,’ he tossed over his shoulder, with a wave.

Severus stared after the boy for a several minutes before he shook his head and headed back to his rooms.

=^.^=          

Much to Severus’ surprise he found Crookshanks sprawled across the couch; his kitten, however, was nowhere to be found.

Snape searched for almost 20 minutes, under furniture, and in cupboards and other small places. He was about to give up when he checked his wardrobe again.

He found the small kitten curled up in one of his good sweaters, shivering almost violently.

‘Kit?’ he asked softly, reaching for the small kitten, but the kitten pulled away.

‘Little one,’ he crooned softly, ‘I want to help. Whatever is wrong I want to try to fix it, make it better, I will do whatever I can to help,’ he implored, trying to cajole the kitten from his wardrobe and off his black sweater.

The kitten looked up at Snape and the man was taken aback by the sadness and underlying anger in those golden green eyes.

‘Oh precious,’ he murmured as he reached in and plucked the kitten up. ‘If you ruin my favourite sweater I’ll have you de-clawed,’ he threatened.

Harry quickly retracted his claws.

‘I wish I knew what was troubling you, little one,’ Severus murmured as he moved to his desk with Harry tucked against his chest.

Harry, for whatever reason, wanted to talk to his professor but whenever he had tried to revert back to his human form, nothing happened. It was part of the reason why he’d been hiding in the wardrobe.

Harry sighed and curled up as close as possible to his professor, wanting to relish the head and affection for as long as possible. Because he knew that when Snape found out that he was masquerading as a cat, a Kneazle no less, that Snape had all but adopted as his familiar Harry was certain that his future would include being used for potions ingredients.

Harry curled up tightly and let Snape’s voice, as he worked out whatever it was he was working on, lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that yes, Snape would probably remember the Weasley names, but he's being mean and vindictive but he's also trying to amuse himself and only half paying attention to what's going on.


	5. Chapter 5

A knock on Severus’ door a little while later pulled Harry from the unpleasant remembrance of past events that still plagued him, even as a Kneazle.

He didn’t think he had ever been so glad to see Draco. Except for maybe that time at Malfoy Manor when he and Neville had saved Harry from Bellatrix, just before he’d defeated Voldemort.

Severus didn’t look up from his work but Harry watched the blonde as he dropped into an ungainly heap of lanky limbs into one of Severus’ deceptively comfortable chairs across from the older man.

Draco watched Severus as he finished what he was working on and didn’t say anything.

Severus set his quill down and looked at Draco, ‘And what has brought you to my office fifteen minutes before curfew?’

Draco sighed and watched Kit before answering, ‘It’s Potter, I haven’t seen him in a few days.’ He stared at the ceiling as he spoke, ‘when I did see him, he wasn’t with the Weasel and the Know-it-all. Finnigan and Longbottom were with him and they seemed more at peace then the others had been and the she-weasel would be with them and she looked like she still liked Harry and well I just… I’m worried about Potter, what if something happened to him?’ Harry gaped at the blonde, this was not the Draco he knew, not that he knew him well but he had been getting to know Draco who’d been trying to shake whatever his mother had kept him under. No matter what he was or wasn’t influenced by, Draco didn’t babble. ‘And Granger what happened to her, she’s been so wrapped up in Weasel and totally ignoring Potter and when she does acknowledge him she belittles him and not that I didn’t do it but she loves him, I know I’ve heard her. And her cat’s been with you and something isn’t right with her, Sev. I just want to apologize to them!’

Severus listened to the blond with mild amusement.

Harry couldn’t help but think that if either of these two men found out about him being a Kneazle, he was going to be used in potions. If he was he hoped it was something nefarious.

‘So when did you decide to get a cat, a Kneazle, of all things?’ Draco asked, clearly over his mope-y rant about things he couldn’t control.

Snape raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything about the rant Draco had just executed. ‘When no one claimed the beast after Granger attacked it,’ he replied.

‘Why did Granger attack it?’ Draco asked his concern evident though Severus wasn’t sure if it was for the cat or the girl.

‘Because it was with her own mangy beast,’ Severus replied. Crookshanks, who’d been curled up in the other chair, practically launched himself out of the chair and at Severus.

Draco yelped and tried to scramble out of the chair he was in. Crookshanks landed just in front of Severus who had remained still and unimpressed.

‘Yes, we are all very impressed with your display of feline finesse.’ Severus drawled as Draco calmed down as he realized that the cat meant no real harm.

Draco snatched Kit off the desk as he settled himself in the chair opposite. ‘Aren’t you a pretty kitty?’ he crooned as he scratched at all the right places on Harry.

Harry was too busy being boneless to care about being “pretty”.

‘Why was Granger attacking this little guy?’ Draco asked, getting that one spot on Harry that drove him to lick the air, or maybe Draco’s arm since it was closest to his tongue.

Both Draco and Severus couldn’t help but to laugh at the poor kitten. ‘I don’t think she’d ever seen a full blooded Kneazle before,’ Severus replied.

‘For all her book smarts, she’s useless in the real world,’ Draco commented.

‘Yes well,’ Severus trailed off, wanting Draco to get whatever was bothering him off his chest.

‘I’ve thought about it, and I want you to adopt me,’ the blonde blurted suddenly.

Severus sighed. ‘We’ve been through this, Draco,’ he began to reply.

‘I know, but you’ve been more of a father to me than Lucius has been and now that you’ve been cleared you can!’ Draco blurted as his hold on Harry tightened just a little bit too much, causing Harry to squeak.

‘Your father didn’t have a choice,’ Severus stated.

‘You don’t know that!’ Draco insisted. Harry had a feeling they’d had this conversation about a million times before. ‘Please Sev!’ Draco whined.

‘Not until we know for sure that Lucius is dead or that Narcissa really did make him a death eater,’ Severus said, with a note of finality.

Draco harrumphed, ‘so does he have a name?’ he asked, playing with a tuft of fur on one of Harry’s ears.

‘Kit,’ Severus replied, hoping he didn’t look as embarrassed as he felt.

Draco lifted the kitten so he was eye level with it, studying the ball of fur. ‘It suits him,’ he finally declared after a moment. He settled Harry back onto his lap and looked back to Severus. ‘What about that one?’ he nodded to the ginger beast on the desk.

‘It’s Granger’s, he won’t go back to her and he refuses to leave that thing alone for any length of time,’ Severus replied with a weak glare at Kit.

‘So he’s become the little one’s pseudo-parent.’

‘It would appear so,’ Severus replied. ‘He did save him from a potentially fatal encounter.’

‘I just wish first year had been different,’ Draco suddenly blurted.

Severus simply raised an eyebrow.

‘I was such a jerk to Potter, to all of them. I didn’t mean to be but I couldn’t help myself,’ Draco declared, and Harry, who’d been kneading the blonde’s thigh, dug his claws in a little deeper, though his victim didn’t seem to notice. ‘Everything could’ve been so different,’ he mused.

Harry wondered what it would have been like if he’d been friends with the blond rather than the irritating redhead who wouldn’t shut the hell up about anything.

‘It’s not your fault, Dragon,’ Severus stated as he moved around his desk. Crookshanks claimed the chair that Snape had just vacated, glaring at the two humans. ‘If anyone is to blame...’ he began.

Draco cut him off with a vehement, ‘no!’ He calmed immediately, ‘you had no idea she was going to steal it and use it on us, on me,’ he set the kitten on the other chair and reached for the older man.

Harry wanted to know what this was about so he perched as close to the edge as he dared and listened.

‘If Fudge wasn’t a bumbling idiot then the potion that you created to make the criminals in jail more complacent-’

‘Don’t Draco,’ Severus snapped before he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

‘I’m sorry, uncle,’ Draco mumbled. ‘I should go,’ he said softly.

Severus pulled Draco into his arms. ‘I’m sorry, Dragon,’ he whispered into the blonde’s hair.

Draco nodded against Severus’ chest.

‘Give Lucius a chance, should he show up,’ he insisted.

Draco nodded again, only to pull away when there was a knock at Severus’ door.

‘Good night, Uncle,’ he said softly.

‘Good night, Dragon,’ he replied, the _blonde_ slipped out of the office as Filch appeared in the doorway.

‘I thought I’d inform you that the student,’ the older man sneered at the word in distaste, ‘that should have been in detention tonight, never showed up,’ he informed him with no small amount of glee.

Snape scowled; there was only one student who had detention at the moment. He scooped up the kitten before storming up into the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

Severus, at least, knocked before he threw open Minerva’s office door.

It only took one glare for Poppy to excuse herself from her evening tea with an old friend.

‘What is it, Severus?’ Minerva asked mildly as she sipped her tea.

The younger man started pacing, gently stroking the kitten in his arms. ‘Granger hasn’t been to her detentions!’ he snarled and Harry quickly climbed Severus’ arm as the man began to rant and gesture about how Hermione Granger had gotten a detention, several in fact and hadn’t shown up, everything just sort of poured out of the potion master.

Glad that he found safety on his human’s shoulder, Harry listened to the impressive rant. Severus was ranting about everything he seemed to have kept bottled up about Ron and Hermione. It didn’t escape the notice of the cat or the woman that Harry Potter wasn’t mentioned once.

Severus wound down his rant about Granger with her insufferably long essays and that no matter how many points he deducted or how often he had written “I said **3** feet” in harsh red scrawl, she still always handed in five feet of drivel.

‘Do you feel better, Severus?’ she asked both amused and worried.

Severus sighed and dropped into one of Minerva’s comfortable looking chairs.

‘It’s Potter,’ he stated as he set the kitten on the desk. Harry looked at Snape with wide eye terror while Minerva settled with confusion.

All were saved when Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan came bursting into the office, panting and dishevelled.

‘It’s Harry!’ Seamus blurted first.

‘We think that Ronald’s done something to him,’ Neville elaborated, even as he bent over to wheeze.

Harry, Severus and Minerva stared at the duo, eyes comically wide with shock.

‘What? How?’ came Minerva’s confused reply.

‘We don’t know really,’ Seamus began almost sheepishly.

‘We were on our way to the dorm,’ Neville continued.

Seamus picked it up, ‘the door was locked,’

‘But we could hear voices,’ the pair was beginning to remind Harry of Fred and George as they bounced back and forth in telling the story.

‘It was Granger and Weasley,’

‘She was trying to convince him to tell someone something,’

‘Ron wouldn’t because he didn’t think anything was wrong,’

‘He said that “the twat” got what he deserved,’ Neville’s scowl impressed even Snape.

‘Miss Granger is already in a world of trouble since she’s skipped out on her detention,’ Snape offered.

Seamus and Neville, surprised with the older man’s presence, they hadn’t noticed him earlier.

‘Demon Kitty!’ Seamus blurted in a sort of hysterical screech as he pointed to the cat on the desk and hid behind Neville.

Neville sighed. ‘He’s not a demon,’ he stated, doing a pretty decent impression of an exasperated Snape.

‘He tried to attack the students, I don’t know why Dumbledore lets it stay!’ Seamus was still cowering behind Neville, peaking out over the other boys shoulder. Neither Snape nor McGonagall knew what to do or say.

‘It’s just a Kneazle, Shay, and they don’t really like being touched by anyone they don’t know. What would you do if a hundred people that towered over you tried to touch you at the same time?’ Neville asked easing Seamus out from behind him.

‘Oh,’ Seamus asked, a little less afraid of the terrifying kitten, who was shaking with laughter, not that any of the human’s knew, they just thought he was afraid or cold.

Snape scooped him up. ‘I believe you were trying to tell us something happened to Potter,’ he stated.

Seamus blushed and mumbled something that sounded like an apology; he, unlike Neville, still took potions.

Severus raised an eyebrow at him and Minerva ushered them out of her office and toward Gryffindor Tower, the Slytherin following behind them.

Minerva fell into step with Snape. ‘I was going to talk with him tomorrow after dinner,’ she said softly, so the two students wouldn’t hear. ‘I also gave him leave from class,’ it looked like Snape was going to say something demeaning about Harry so she continued on, not letting him talk. ‘He is so far ahead of the rest of his peers, that he’s bored in class. He gets the spell on the first try and then plays with them, changing them, altering them somehow. ‘

Severus made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. He had taught Harry himself, both in potions, defence and a mishmash of private lessons to help him the task that he had been appointed. The only thing that Harry excelled in had been Defence Against the Dark Arts, everything else he’d been simply average in.

‘He’s better than I am most days,’ Minerva offered as they stopped in front of the portrait that had closed behind the two students who had gotten ahead of them.

‘Froganna  seacláid,’ she stated, causing Severus to raise his eyebrow.

Minerva, to her credit didn’t even blush, not that she met his eyes either.

The portrait swung open and Minerva stepped into the Gryffindor common room, Severus right behind her.

Everyone in the common room, mostly older students, stared at the two heads of houses with something akin to paralyzing fear.

McGonagall had a deep furrow between her brow and her lips were so thin it was like she didn’t have any. Snape simply levelled a glower at everyone, the small kitten still perched on his shoulder doing nothing to distract from the look.

She surveyed the students, with a calm that belied the anger she was trying to hide. Angry –furious- that someone would dare to hurt one of her cubs, especially one like Harry.

‘Where are Mr Weasley and Miss Granger?’ she asked, knowing that neither student would have gone to bed yet.

Only three students met her gaze, the two that had rushed to her office and Ginny Weasley.

‘They’re up in Ron’s dorm room,’ she replied, Severus didn’t know what that glimmer was that was in the young witch’s eye, he hoped that it would bode well for Harry. He would need all the friends he could keep.

‘Thank you, Ginerva,’ McGonagall gave her a small nod before gliding up to the boys dorm; only Snape followed her up the stairs.

‘You have to tell someone, Ron! Harry could be in trouble,’ they heard the girl insisting.

Before Ron could reply, Minerva opened the door with a wave of her hand.

‘That stupid brat got what he deserved, so will you if you don’t shut the hell up!’ he snarled at the witch.

‘Twenty points for threatening a student, Mr Weasley,’ Minerva stated before Snape could do the honours.

‘And another ten for public indecency,’ Snape added, catching sight of the naked redhead.

Ron made a very unmanly, “eep” sound and covered himself with a pillow, that shrank and turned pink and grew frills, not that Ron noticed. Hermione, however, was still fully clothed and looked like she didn’t know whether to sneer at the redhead or laugh at him.

‘What does Mr Weasley need to confess about this time, Miss Granger?’ Minerva asked coldly.

Hermione blushed, ‘I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me just that he saw Harry on the pitch with someone and they looked like they were arguing,’ she replied, not looking up at either of her professors.

Ron looked like he wanted to defend himself but Snape’s Glare of Instant Death If You Don’t Shut. Up. Now. kept him silent.

The older witch studied the girl for a moment before nodding. ‘Very well, I will talk with you tomorrow Miss Granger,’ she said before turning and moving from the dorm. ‘Come along Mr Weasley, I believe it is time to call your parents.’

Ron whimpered but didn’t move, ‘now!’ Minerva snapped when he didn’t appear from the room.

Ron practically ran to catch up with her, still holding onto the pink, frilly pillow.

The snickering began with those closest to the stairs and spiralled out, leaving Ron totally red, from the tips of his toes to the tips of his ears.

‘Oh, for... get dressed, Mr Weasley,’ McGonagall ordered, with no small amount of exasperation.

Ron let out the unmanliest of unmanly “eeps” before turning to reveal more bare flesh as he bolted up the stairs to his room. The snickers turned into full out laughter.

Severus and Minerva swept from the common room to wait out in the hall, trying to suppress their own snickers.

Hermione gave a sigh of relief that they hadn’t come down on her for skipping her detention. She hadn’t wanted to but Ron had told her not to go and she’d listened to him. Like he was controlling her with a curse, but he was lucky if he got a fine mist for a patronus so there was no way that he could cast the Imperious curse on her. Was there?

She wanted to tell Ron to shove off, but every time she tried, she ended up sick to her stomach. She was so violently ill, that her sides and stomach would ache for the rest of the day.

She knew that she was treating Harry and Crookshanks, and everyone else, terribly but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

Whenever she was close to figuring out what the hell he was doing to her, he would dose her again and destroy whatever she found. Not that that really matter because after the first time, she’d started to make copies.

Sending another mental apology to Harry and Crookshanks, she headed out to see if maybe she could talk to someone, however when she looked around the common room, everyone was busy doing their homework, laughing about Ron or glaring at her. So she quietly headed up to her own dorm, her eyes burning with shame.


	7. Chapter 7

Ron sat on the most uncomfortable chair in the universe while McGonagall fire-called his parents.

‘Ronald Bilius Weasley!’ Molly bellowed, even as she emerged from the fire, with Arthur right behind her. Ron cringed while Severus, with a firm grip on poor Kit, slinked back into the shadows to watch.

‘Did we teach you nothing?’ she asked, even Ron in his thick-headedness, knew not to answer the question. ‘Hermione is a fine young girl and you want to spoil your relationship with her by forcing yourself on her?’

Minerva and Snape exchanged a glance, it hadn’t seemed like the pair had been dating, not that they could do much on school grounds and it had only been a week.

Snape emerged from the shadows and Molly gave a small exclamation of surprise, and then began to coo to the kitten before both feline and human began to growl at her.

‘Mr. Weasley, tell us how you came to be naked in your dorm with a girl?’ he asked as politely as he could managed, which was really only a level or two above his normal pissed-off, blow-up the next person who so much as thinks about thinking of maybe talking to him mood.

Ron paled, ‘she said that she wanted to talk to me alone in my room, I thought she wanted to... you know...’ he blushed.

‘No Ronald I don’t know,’ his father replied, he glanced up at Snape and the pair exchanged evil smirks.

‘I thought she wanted to have sex,’ Ron admitted, though the last word was barely audible. Harry had never seen Ron so red. He almost felt sorry for the daft bastard. Almost.

‘Did you ask her?’ Arthur asked. Ron shook his head, not daring to look at anyone.

‘So what did she want then?’ Molly asked, taking pity on her son, but only because she feared he would pass out.

Ron swallowed heavily. ‘She wanted me to confess to something I didn’t do,’ he replied, a little bit more bravely then he had been before.

‘If this is about the homework that you’ve been stealing from Potter, then we already know,’ Minerva replied, pulling a file from one of her drawers.

His head snapped up and he glared at his head of house, his face red in anger this time.

‘I didn’t steal his homework!’ he insisted.

‘Right, then tell me Mr. Weasley, why did you hand in a potions assignment to your divination class?’ Snape asked icily. Ron only gaped at him, unable to say anything.

‘This is Harry’s last potion assignment,’ Minerva stated, handing the elder Weasley’s a rolled parchment. ‘If you could read it out loud for Ronald please,’ she requested.

All three Weasley’s gave her confused looks, but Molly began to read, out loud, ‘I’m not positive on who the culprit is but I want to help catch them. I had too much to worry about last year but I’d like it to stop this year, now that I have time.’ Snape hid a smirk.

Ron went even paler then he had been before. He knew he was in trouble and everyone else knew that he knew that he was in trouble. Harry had started to growl and his fur had fluffed up. He couldn’t believe what the irritating redhead had done.

‘Now, if you could read this, Ronald,’ she handed him another scroll. ‘It is the essay that Ronald handed in for Divination,’ she explained to the other two.

Ron slouched into his chair as he began to read, ‘Professor Snape, I think someone’s been copying my homework.’

‘I think that’s enough, Ronald,’ Molly cut him off.

‘If you aren’t expelled for this then you will not be leaving school grounds until you graduate,’ Molly stated, clearly trying to keep her temper in check.

‘All the assignments that you copied from Harry you will re-do,’ Arthur added, ‘including the ones from last year.’ Ron groaned.

‘You can get a head start on them, you are suspended for two weeks,’ McGonagall added, ‘and are no longer on the Quidditch team.’ Ron looked like he wanted to protest but wasn’t sure what to say.

‘Tell us who you saw with Potter on the pitch,’ Snape demanded, reminding everyone that he was there. ‘And you can forget about your potions assignments, they won’t get a mark above a T.’

‘What?’ Ron blurted, forgetting what he told Hermione and infuriated over Snape’s comment.

‘You told Miss Granger that you saw Harry with someone on the pitch before he disappeared, describe them,’ Minerva explained.

‘I didn’t see anything, it was dark,’ Ron replied, still not looking at anyone.

Minerva and Snape exchanged a glance, they could both tell he was lying, but they had no idea what he was lying about.

Molly and Arthur knew as well and silently vowed to get the information from Ron in the two weeks that he would be with them. They would of course get their oldest sons to help; they knew their twins would have a few ideas.

=^.^=

Hermione sat on the window bench in her room.

She sighed and wondered when everything had gotten so bad. If she had to, she would have guessed when Harry and Snape had defeated Voldemort over the summer.

Ron still thought that Severus was an evil Slytherin, and that he was only using Harry for his own gain, not that he was too concerned with Harry to really care about him.

Sometime during the last year Ron had decided that Harry was unworthy.  And like the fool that she was, Hermione had believed all of Ronald’s lies. It hadn’t been until the defeat that Hermione had realized what a big mistake she had made.

It was probably, no scratch that, it was too late to make amends. She had spent the year, ignoring and belittling someone who was supposed to be her best friend.

She decided that no matter what happened, she was going to apologize to Harry. If only they could find Harry. Odd how he disappeared and Snape gets a kitten the next day.  
She cringed, she would apologize to Snape and the cat and her own feline tomorrow, if any of them would give her the chance.

She felt terrible, the poor thing had been terrified and she’d only made things worse.

She rubbed her face and moved to bed, she’d apologize to everyone in the morning, and then do everything she could to help find Harry.

=^.^=

Ron had sulked from the time he left McGonagall’s office to collect what he needed from his room, to the time he got back home. Both of his parents had lectured him on cheating, and forcing himself on other people, even if you were dating them.

He had no privileges and no freedom.

It was all Potter’s fault. If that bastard hadn’t ever been born then none of this would have ever happened.

His sulk became a scowl as he decided that he was going to get revenge on Potter as soon as he got back to school. He had two weeks to think about it.

Well at least he didn’t have to do any of his potions essays. Snape was such a bastard, how they couldn’t see how evil the man was, Ron didn’t know. He sneered; Snape would get what was coming to him too, right after he proved that Harry had tried to kill Ron every year.

=^.^=

Harry curled up on Snape’s extra pillow, he had wondered if it had been Ron who had been stealing his homework but to know that it was actually him, it made Harry nauseous.

He growled softly and Snape’s hand, which had found its way into Kit’s fur, twitched. Crookshanks tail batted him and Harry quieted. He really wished he could become human again. Or at least remember what had happened the night he had become a Kneazle.

It’s not that he didn’t like being one, he did; he just wished he could talk to someone. Talk to Snape, thank him for what he’d done before sending Harry on his merry way.

He really hoped that Snape wouldn’t do anything to him when he found out who his Kit was.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione waited for the last of the third year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors to bolt from the potions classroom.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she missed the small Kneazle as it slipped into the classroom; mind it had used the children for cover, not wanting the older witch to see him.

When the classroom and the surrounding hallway emptied, Hermione gave a tentative knock on the still open door and waited for Snape to acknowledge her.

She watched as he gathered his workload for the evening and then scooped up the kitten which seemed to be trying to climb his pant leg.

‘Are you going to come in Miss Granger or are you just going to stand in the doorway?’ he asked, not looking away from the small animal that had his claws stuck in Snape’s clothing. Hermione was positive that the scorn she could feel coming off the man was for her.

She took a steadying, hopefully calming breath only to gasp as she caught sight of Kneazle. She’d been too focused on Crookshanks the other night to really look at the tiny creature but now that she could actually look at it, it was just so.... well adorable was the only word the witch could think of.

‘Oh, he’s so cute,’ she gushed - almost squealed -, her inner five year old coming out for a minute. She moved into the room finally, not that she intended to actually pet the cat, but just to get closer to it.

The growl that came from the tiny thing had Hermione halting halfway to the desk and she actually took a step back.

Snape realized that the growling wasn’t only coming from Kit, who was fairly vibrating in his hands, but also from under the desk, where Crookshanks was hiding. Crookshanks must have amplified his own growl to keep the girl from realizing there were two felines around.

‘Hush, little one,’ Severus soothed the cat in his hands even as he continued to glare at the student.

‘Was there something you wanted?’ He asked when she simply stood in the middle of the classroom dumbfounded. It took a moment for the question to penetrate all that hair but she blushed before she started her stuttered apology.

‘I’m sorry, about the other night. What I did was so wrong and ... I just... I’m sorry Professor, I am, I shouldn’t have lashed out at the kitten or anything really but he was just to convenient and I didn’t know what he was and I was so scared,’ she wiped at her eyes before she continued, ‘I just wanted to protect Crook, I’ve just been horrid to him lately...’

‘Granger!’ he snapped for the fourth time, finally cutting into the girls tear filled ramble.

She blinked owlishly at the older man before blushing again –still?-  and studied the cold stone floor sheepishly.

‘I am not the one that you should be apologizing too,’ Snape offered, not as cold as he had been when Granger had appeared. She was clearly torn up and Snape could only guess as to what about but was curious as to what brought out this change.

‘I know,’ she sniffed, trying to keep her tears at bay, ‘I just, I don’t know where Harry is and I’ve asked everyone and no one knows where he is or if they just aren’t talking to me.’

With a sigh, Severus massaged the bridge of his nose, ‘I know. We, the staff, are doing all we can to figure out what happened or where he is but seeing as locating spells don’t work in the castle halls and all the anti-tracking spells that Dumbledore placed on him, there isn’t much we can do about it other than not give up hope,’ he offered.

It was Hermione’s turn to sigh, ‘I’m just so worried about him, I wasn’t very good to him and I don’t know why I keep...’

‘We’ve been through this Miss Granger,’ Snape drawled, cutting off yet another apology.

‘I know,’ she replied. ‘I’ve never seen a Kneazle before,’ she blurted suddenly.

Severus just raised an eyebrow.

‘I’ll just go, I should get some dinner or a snack or something,’ she mumbled, not taking her eyes from the kitten that was sort of hiding in Snape’s robes. ‘I’m sorry about hurting you,’ she offered to the Kneazle before she turned to head for the door.

She hesitated at the door for a moment. ‘If you see Crook,’ she began but stopped herself at the incredulous look on Snape’s face, ‘right, good night,’ she rushed out, not looking where she was going.

=^.^=

Harry nestled into Snape, he didn’t want to believe Hermione but she had smelt like peaches and peonies and a bitterness that Harry associated with regret and something else he couldn’t quite place.

He leaned into the hand that was gently massaging him and let Snape’s voice wash over him.

‘I was fully prepared to hate the brat, especially given who his father was,’ Snape spoke softly, only loud enough for the kitten to hear, not that there was anyone else to hear him.

‘Potter was just so...’ he trailed of but at his name Harry perked up and actually began listening to the words and not just the voice.

‘He looked so lost,’ Snape blurted, ‘he was smaller than his classmates, all of them, and I know he’s not James, I know that. He may look like his father but he’s got his mother’s love, his mother’s ability to forgive.’ Snape’s hand traveled to scratch under his chin, ‘he was given this monumental task, which he managed to accomplish by the way, by people too afraid to help themselves and he doesn’t ask for much. He just wants to be normal and not have people stare at him or assault him when he’s trying to do homework or have dinner,’ Snape growled softly. He remembered the start of term feast when Harry had sat, estranged from Granger and Weasley and there had practically been a line-up of people wanting an autograph.

Thankfully Albus had put a stop to it before Snape had but he had still seethed.

When Weasley had sneered something about a fan club, causing Granger to twitter and the rest of them to scowl, Harry stood and stormed from the room.

‘I had to be the mean bastard because it was expecting it of me,’ he was surprised when Kit licked his hand.

Harry understood; the rest had surprised him, but that he understood.

‘He’s grown into a handsome man, he’s still on the small side but it just makes him more appealing. He’s loyal and loving and he looks less like James and more like his own person. I can’t stop thinking about him and he’s my student and I’m old enough to be his father but he’s done so much and after the last year,’ he heaved another sigh. ‘I have no idea why I’m telling this to you, you are a Kneazle, it’s not like you can do anything about it. I can’t say you don’t understand me because you obviously understand some of it...’ he trailed off, not really sure what he was even talking about anymore.

Harry’s purring only intensified; maybe Snape wouldn’t hate him when this was over.


	9. Chapter 9

For a change Harry spent the day in Snape’s rooms instead of with the man. The fact that Snape had to spend all morning in his lab brewing hadn’t hurt that decision either.

Crookshanks had watched the smaller feline prowl around the rooms aimlessly for almost an hour. He swatted Harry as he passed by. For his part, Harry whirled around and hissed at the much larger cat who only glared at the impertinent brat before going back to his grooming.

Harry finally sat himself down in front of the giant book case; he stared at the monolith in contemplation.

After the little one’s fifth attempt at getting to a shelf that was higher than the one at floor level, Crookshanks finally took something akin to pity on the poor thing and leapt gracefully onto the third shelf, which had a surprising number of books on animal transfiguration and transformation. He then proceeded to knock down several of the more promising ones.

Harry mewled gratefully at the older cat but Crookshanks was already asleep, settled in front of the fire.

He then spent the rest of the day trying to read, though his size and lack of actual hands made things a little difficult for him.

=^.^=

When Snape returned to his rooms, he was still grumbling about the idiocy of the headmaster who had him brew a potion that in no way would help find Harry. Despite Snape’s very vocal protestations, Albus had insisted that he make it.

Unfortunately he had all he need in his supplies, something that Albus had known though it wasn’t a surprise since the man seemed to know everything but where his prized student was. Severus paused in mid-rant, ‘No, the barmy old man wouldn’t have let it go on this long if he had known where Harry was...’

He trailed off when he caught sight of Kit sprawled across one – several – of his books.

How something so small could take up so much room, he had no idea.

‘Come on Furball,’ Snape said as he lifted the small Kneazle. Harry gave a sleepy protest but as Snape settled him on his shoulder, Harry fell back to sleep.

Despite his irritation with the headmaster, Severus was in a relatively good mood. He scowled at the students, because it wouldn’t do for him to be caught humming outside his lab.

=^.^=

‘Mione?’ Hermione blinked owlishly at the hand that was waving itself in front of her face.

She had been trying to do her homework but she kept zoning out, worrying about Harry.

She glared weakly at Ginny, who had been attached to the hand.

‘What do you want?’ she snapped, a little more harshly then she intended. ‘Sorry,’ she immediately apologized, looking truly sorry.

Ginny waved her off, clearly unaffected by the other witch’s misplaced anger, ‘I just took everything upstairs, do you have a bit of spare parchment I can use, I just got a wicked idea for something the twins can do to Ronnikins,’ she beamed with evil mischievousness that was eerily reminiscent of the twins.

However Hermione had stopped listening after “parchment”.

‘Yeah sure, take as much as you need,’ she stated as she rushed to find Neville, who just happened to walk into the common room at that moment. He was covered in mysterious orange goo that Hermione and Ginny, or the rest of the Gryffindor’s didn’t want to think about.

‘What Granger?’ Neville almost growled; he just wanted to shower, have a wank in said shower for some reason he couldn’t explain though possible because of the goo, and then have a nap.

‘There should be a bit of old parchment in Harry’s trunk, can you get it for me?’ she asked, trying to be as pleasant as possible. She had apologized to Neville on several occasions, so often in fact that he had told her to stop or he’d never even think about talking to her again, but things were still tense between them. Neville eyed her sceptically.

‘It could help us find Harry,’ she added, hoping it would push Neville over.

He sighed, ‘fine,’ he replied and he trudged up the stairs leaving a thin trail of orange that smelled like rancid eggnog.

Hermione waved her wand and the goo was gone but the smell remained. Several other students tried to magic it away but nothing seemed to work and the smell was only getting worse so finally they opened the windows. Most of the students had abandoned the common room in favour of better smelling places, leaving only Hermione, Ginny and Seamus. The latter two were sitting together going over what Ginny had written.

When Neville returned he was goo free and his longish hair was still wet. ‘Sorry, it took me a while to find it,’ he offered holding up the folded parchment. No one called him on his bluff.

Hermione snatched the parchment from Neville and laid it out on one of the bigger tables.

‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,’ she said, her wand in the middle of the parchment.

Neville and Seamus watched in rapt fascination as the whole of the castle was revealed on the parchment, including little dots for all the people still inside.

‘If Harry is still on the grounds he should show up on this map,’ she explained. She and Ginny had already started looking for Harry’s dot.

‘Ugh, I don’t want to know what Crabbe and Goyle are doing in a cupboard,’ Seamus declared putting his hand over the two dots. Ginny snickered and moved closer trying to move Seamus’ hand.

‘Pervert!’ he declared overly loudly, causing Hermione to glare at the pair.

‘Stop flirting already, we’re trying to find Harry!’ she snapped at the pair, both of them had the grace to look a little ashamed.

They searched every inch of the map three times - the third time at Hermione’s insistence but couldn’t find Harry anywhere.

‘He’s got to be here,’ Hermione insisted, the other three exchanged a look.

‘You should take a break, before your eyes start to cross,’ Neville said gently, covering her hand.

‘Mine already have,’ Seamus declared, crossing his eyes and looking dizzy, causing Ginny to giggle again.

Neville glared weakly at the pair, who nodded and left quietly.

‘Maybe he’s just gone into town or is in a room that isn’t on this map,’ Neville offered.

Hermione nodded, ‘mischief managed,’ she whispered not quite brokenly.

‘We’ll try again later,’ he gave her hand a squeeze.

She gave him a small smile, she had never thought of Neville as the comforting type, but he was surprisingly good at it.

No one seemed to notice that Snape’s chambers weren’t on the map, neither was the man himself.

=^.^=

Between Neville, homework and whatever else, Hermione managed to not check the map every hour.

So it wasn’t until after dinner when she finally got to check the map again. She still couldn’t find Harry.

Sometime around midnight, she gave up her tossing and turning and pulled out the map again.

She gasped as her eyes zeroed in on two moving dots.

Snape and Potter.

Snape and _Harry!_

She was soon running from the dorm and flying down the stairs to get to her professor. She followed them into the dungeons and as she rounded a corner all she caught was a swirl of black robes. When she checked the map again the pair was gone. She moved cautiously toward the closest portrait. Whose ever it was, the occupant wasn’t there. She glanced at the map, trying to figure out why these rooms weren’t on it, the potions master’s rooms were on the other side of the hall then what were these rooms?

She sighed and with one last glance at the empty portrait, she headed back up to the tower, studying the map the entire way. It was easier to study the map then wonder why Harry was in Snape’s private chambers anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

Ron glared at his untouched dinner, ignoring the people who used to be his family.

Four of his former brothers had come for dinner. They had claimed it was because they wanted to spend time with Mum and Dad, however Ron knew better.

They had come to torture him.

Not three minutes after Fred and George had walked in the door, Ron had begun to change colours. His hair was currently a vivid, if putrid, green and his skin was neon yellow.

Charlie had been more subtle. It had taken five minutes for Ron to start belching up bubbles that had their own putrid smell when they popped that only Ron could smell.

He didn’t know when Bill’s had kicked in since he refused to talk at all. Though he did eventually try to say something all that came out was gibberish. He talked backwards or spewed random syllables or some random languages. Not that Ron understood any of it, he just babbled incoherently in what might have been an excellent rant.

He had no idea who had done the worst one though. The one that made everything he ate taste like ash, which is why he hadn’t eaten anything since he’d been home.

He glared at the others that were enjoying their dinners. He wanted to go to his room but the smell that lingered there was horrid. He had had an uncontrollably bout of flatulence that had kept him up all night and the smell still lingered, no matter what he did.

Ron belched several times in succession, causing Fred and George to begin to retch dramatically, even if Ron was the only one who could smell the bubbles.

Bill and Molly ignored the pair in favour of wedding talk. While Bill’s relationship with Fleur hadn’t lasted, his relationship with her brother Jasper had.

Arthur and Charlie were having a heated discussion over who would win the World Cup. Arthur was rooting for Ireland and Charlie was rooting for Canada, he had a soft spot for the team that he just couldn’t explain.

After a particularly long belch that had Fred and George howling with laughter, Ron stormed outside. It was the only place where the smell wouldn’t linger.

Ron fumed. It was the only thing he could do as one of his textbooks flew out of his window to smack the back of his head.

He tried to get rid of it but the stupid textbook would just keep coming back. He got a dozen bruises on his arms and back before he finally started to work.

He wasn’t sure but somehow this was all Harry’s fault.

=^.^=

Hermione sat examining the map again.

‘You know he could be anywhere,’ Neville stated as he sat beside her in the common room.

She sighed, ‘I know, I just, I’m worried about him and I want to apologize to him and I feel so badly,’ she replied.

‘Staring at this map won’t help anything.’

Just then she spotted Snape and Harry emerging from what seemed to be a wall and moved down the hall to disappear into the opposite wall.

‘Why is he with Snape?’ she asked aloud, in a tone that suggested that she had forgotten about him.

Neville’s eyes widened in surprise, but there was no way that was possible.

‘Maybe because Harry thinks that Snape is the only one he can trust,’ he offered, causing Hermione to stare after his retreating back, her surprise written across her face.

=^.^=

Snape was staring at the book that he had found Kit sleeping on in favour of correcting the mound of assignments, ‘why were you so interested in this book? It’s all about human to animal transformation,’ he flipped through the book.

Before Snape could actually connect any dots, a high pitched alarm went off, summoning all the teachers to the front hall.

Severus left the two felines in his rooms, the book open to the chapter on improper spell casting and accidental changes.

=^.^=

The few students that were still in the halls were ushered back to their rooms.

They didn’t need to see the two men in the front hall.

Poppy was already running scans on them and directing Luna and Padma on what to prepare in the infirmary. The pair rushed off to get it ready.

‘Severus,’ Albus called him over, ‘if you could tell Draco that his father has been found.’ It was a half demanded, half requested question that the headmaster was so fond of.

Severus nodded curtly; he couldn’t do much good here anyway. Poppy had everything under control. He studied the two men that had collapsed in the front hall. The pale blond hair gave the Malfoy away. The sandy brown of the other man was a little harder to place but he hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was. Harry would be devastated.

=^.^=

With help from McGonagall, Sprout and Weasley, Poppy moved the two men to the infirmary.

There was a low rumble that no one really noticed coming from one of the men.

Poppy was forced to separate the pair since her scans were coming back a little scrambled.

 Remus, who was the sandy haired man, began to struggle as Lucius was moved to another bed. Lucius began to whimper.

‘Calm yourself Lupin. You’re safe now,’ Poppy soothed as she tried to administer a calming draught.

Remus didn’t calm if anything he began to struggle harder, even unconscious he put up quite a struggle.

Lucius continued to whimper even as he began to struggle.

Suddenly several Aurors had stormed into the infirmary, Cornelius Fudge right behind them.

‘I’ve heard there is criminal here,’ he announced looking rather pompous, ‘two actually.’

‘You’ve heard wrong,’ Albus replied as he finally swept into the infirmary.

Fudge glared at him, ‘Do you or do you not have Lucius Malfoy and Remus Lupin here?’

‘We do,’ he replied, rather jovially. ‘Have you come to visit them?’ Albus tried very hard to not laugh as Fudge practically growled in irritation.

‘Don’t try my patience Dumbledore!’ Fudge snarled. ‘I want both of those men in custody! They’ve betrayed this country with their abandonment!’

‘Those men aren’t going anywhere,’ Poppy hissed, not looking up from where she was trying to patch up a restless if lethargic Remus.

‘They conspired to kill me!’ Fudge blurted out, going puce in the face.

‘They conspired to save the world,’ Poppy shouted back.

‘I demand you stop working on these men,’ he was standing right in front of her, getting into Poppy’s space.

‘I demand you brush your teeth!’ she shot back, actually shoving him out of her way. Fudge sputtered in indignation.

‘As headmaster of this school, I order you, Cornelius Fudge, _former_ Minister of Magic, to leave school property,’ Albus stated, looking the fierce warrior-mage that few knew him to be. His energy practically crackled around him, the twinkle in his eye replaced by fiery determination.

Fudge began to sputter incoherently, unable to string together consonants, though it sounded vaguely like he was trying to say, ‘I am the current minister.’

‘Not anymore Cornelius,’ Albus stated as he handed Fudge a rolled parchment.

Cornelius unrolled the parchment not really sure what was going on. It was a petition signed by all the board members, removing Fudge as minister.

‘Now, what’s wrong with our boys?’ Albus asked as he joined Poppy beside Remus, who seemed to be the worse off of the pair.

Before Poppy could reply, the infirmary doors burst open.

Fudge was being hauled out of the castle by magical means as Draco rushed in, Snape not far behind.

‘Papa!’ he cried as he all but launched himself at Lucius.

Lucius nuzzled the boy as he hugged his father.

‘Cub,’ the older blonde whispered, letting the younger man lie against him.

‘Nothing’s helping,’ Poppy sighed.

‘Push their beds together, I think they’ve mated,’ Severus said softly to Poppy. ‘It’ll help them both.’

Poppy gaped at Severus for a moment.

‘I believe he is right,’ Albus agreed, even as he waved Remus’ bed closer to Lucius and Draco.

The effect was immediate, Remus began to heal as he rolled onto the blond and Lucius calmed.

No one noticed as Severus slipped from the room.

=^.^=

Severus slowly closed the door, and leaned against. His eyes fell closed as he finally accepted what his brain had put together already from the clues he’d seen.  He heaved a sigh before pushing himself away from the door.

He found Kit-Harry lying on the book again.

‘Who turned you into this infernal feline, Harry?’ he asked lifting the kitten to eye level.

Harry mewled softly and batted at Severus’ cheek.

‘I know it’s you,’ he said softly almost sadly. Harry went limp.

‘I’m not angry with you, I can hardly blame you. It’s difficult to communicate when you aren’t the same species,’ he said gently.

Harry cocked his head to the side, asking a myriad of un-voiced questions.

‘We will have a long talk when you are yourself again,’ Snape stated, ‘until then, I will do what I can to figure out what happened and who did this to you.’

Harry “mrowed” and tried to wiggle free of Snape’s hands but those long fingers held tight.

‘You’re never going to live this down,’ Snape stated and Harry hissed weakly.

Snape settled Harry in his lap, ‘you should know that Remus has been returned. And no you cannot go see him, not yet. I believe Lucius Malfoy and Remus have mated. I’m not sure how but Lucius has been turned.’

Harry “mrowred” again.

‘You will have to ask Remus and Lucius what happened. All I can tell you is that they both ended up in the front hall and they were distressed being apart,’ Severus offered.

‘We can sneak into the infirmary later so you can see the damn wolves,’ Snape conceded before he began to slash viciously at a parchment.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry stayed as close to Crookshanks as he could, practically walking under him.

There were no students around to harass either of the two felines so it didn’t take long for them to reach the infirmary. The older feline managed to push open the door enough for both of them to slip through.

Harry sniffed the air before making his way to the far end of the infirmary. He absently noted that the bed closest to the back wall still smelled of him from his last stay at the end of the year.

He was surprised to find a door in the wall beside “his” bed; he had never noticed it before. He padded over to it and was surprised to find it open and he could hear voices. He immediately recognized Madam Pomfrey, she was talking to a man that sounded vaguely familiar but Harry couldn’t quite place it.

A familiar scent, sort of woodsy but sort of library-ish with a hint of chocolate, it was mixed with another scent, earthy-oceany, fresh rain and vanilla that nagged at Harry’s brain.

Harry crept closer as Crookshanks watched the kitten, faintly amused.

The Kneazle managed to slink into the room unnoticed and hid under the bed until the medi-witch left.

Harry, who’d managed to nod off in the few minutes he’d been under the bed jerked awake when Pomfrey announced who her patient was.

Malfoy!

He didn’t know what to think, because he was positive that it was Remus who was sleeping in the same bed with Lucius Malfoy and Harry had heard something about Draco and his father being under some sort of potion or spell or curse or hex or something.

Harry waited for a few minutes after Poppy had left, firmly closing the door behind her, before he ventured out from under the bed.

He cocked his head as he watched Lucius as the man sat reading, his free hand running through Remus’ hair.

Harry was rather proud of himself as he managed to find a way onto the bed by himself.

‘And who might you be?’ Lucius asked when he noticed the small Kneazle that tumbled his way up the bed, not really sure what to expect from the blonde man. Lucius watched the small feline as it made its way to him.

He closed his book and held out his hand for the kitten, waiting patiently for him. His eyes glittered with amusement.

Harry finally found his feet and inched his way cautiously toward the outstretched hand.

There was something about the way that the feline moved that struck Lucius as odd. He wasn’t sure what but there was just something. He shook his head and was surprised to find the Kneazle on his lap, sniffing at Remus’ nose.

Lucius’ soft chuckle startled Harry and he lost his footing; he stumbled a little as he backed up. The blonde caught him in gentle hands.

‘Careful, little one,’ Lucius chided gently, as he carefully set Harry on his feet, and ran a hand through his fur.

Lucius was almost as good as Severus, but Harry just figured he was being biased.

Harry curled up, practically on Remus’ head, wanting to be as close to both Remus and Lucius as he could get, the “bad” that normally came off Lucius seemed to be gone. He soon fell asleep as Lucius alternated between petting Harry and Remus.

=^.^=

Draco was surprised to find his father and Professor Lupin still asleep and in the same bed. He sighed and pulled out his assignments. It seemed that his plan to talk to his father would have to wait.

He had no idea how he managed to finish his potions and history of magic assignments but now he was stuck on transfiguration.

Stupid transfiguration.

Draco was trying to do his transfiguration assignment.

He really was.

But thoughts of Harry and Hermione kept invading his brain.

Hermione was a mystery. She’d been faithful to Harry since first year and then when she’d started dating the irritating redhead and had become something close to The Super Bitch from Hell. Not quite there because his mother was still the proud owner of _that_ title, but close.

Draco could admit, if only to himself, that Hermione had become a very beautiful young woman, and Draco wouldn’t have changed her for anything a year ago. But now that he was free he realized that she was what he had become and he hated it. No wonder Potter hadn’t wanted to be his friend.

He sighed, _Potter_ , now there was something that was screwed up, not Potter the person, but Potter the relationship. Draco dropped his head back onto the back of the couch. Great now he wasn’t making any sense, even to himself...

‘Just talk to them,’ he stated out loud.

‘I find that usually helps,’ Lucius offered, slightly amuse as he pulled himself up so he could prop himself against the headboard.

‘But it’s kind of hard to when someone is M.I.A.’ the younger blonde replied, shifting so he was sitting to face his father.

‘Who’s missing?’ Lucius asked his concern evident in his voice and his face.

‘You were up until yesterday, but Potter is too,’ Draco replied.

‘And no one has any ideas about where he is or what happened to him?’ Lucius asked, his hand buried in Harry’s fur, causing him to purr loudly.

Draco shook his head, and then seemed to notice the Kneazle in his father’s lap. ‘How’d he get here?’ Draco asked, waving his hand in the direction of the feline.

‘I’m guessing he snuck in when Poppy came to check on us,’ Lucius replied as he gently lifted the Kneazle, who blinked up at him sleepily before yawning making an odd sort of happy kitten noise, causing Lucius and Draco to melt completely.

‘He doesn’t have a collar, but he seems to be well taken care of,’ Lucius commented. ‘Do you know who he belongs to?’

‘It’s Kit, Severus’ new familiar,’ Draco replied, watching his father with the Kneazle, he vaguely remembered this gentle man from his childhood.

Lucius glanced at his son with a raised eyebrow.

‘Granger attacked it and you know Uncle Severus has a soft spot for small, furry, defenceless animals,’ he replied with a shrug, not going into details, seeing as he really didn’t know them. ‘Ask Uncle Sev, he didn’t tell me a whole lot.’

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, Draco doodling on some parchment that should have been his assignment as Lucius entertained Kit and was entertained by the small kitten.

‘So what happened?’ Draco finally asked, not looking up from his parchment, only mildly embarrassed.

Lucius didn’t reply immediately.

He gave a small smile. ‘You’re going to have to be a little bit more specific,’ he replied nudging Draco with a sheet covered foot.

Draco jerked back and began to fidget, ‘what happened to us?’ he blurted. ‘What happened to you? How did you end up here with Professor Lupin?’ he continued on, the questions pouring from him now that he’d finally started to ask them. ‘How should I approach Granger and what about Harry and what do I do about mother and -?’

Lucius sighed and set Kit on the bed before running a hand through Remus’ hair. ‘Slow down Dragon, I can only answer one question at a time,’ he replied both worried and amused.

‘So what happened?’ Draco asked again with an unrepentant grin.

‘Brat,’ Lucius glared at his son weakly, but didn’t reply immediately.

Harry, who had brought himself out his massage-induced stupor, butted his head against Lucius’ hand in curiosity.

‘You being drugged was my fault,’ Lucius began. ‘I had finally realized just how mad Riddle had become and I didn’t want you to be a part of it, I wanted to get you –all of us- out. Your mother had other ideas. She managed to convince me to stay just a few more days and that’s when she started to drug us. She spoke to Riddle about us and he cursed us. After a time I began to build up a resistance to the potion and as Riddle lost his own power his hold on me began to fail. Then your mother died I was free of the potion and I could think for myself for once but I couldn’t act for myself. Then he threatened to take you and I broke free,’ here he sighed and Draco moved to sit next to his father.

‘He tortured me when I tried to escape, and eventually he gave me to Greyback, who decided to turn me. I was with him for three full moons and then I wasn’t. Remus has a better idea of what happened when I wasn’t then I do. I think we’re mates,’ he added almost as an after thought. It was like he had to talk to someone about this who wasn’t Remus, a deranged Death Eater or a psychotic werewolf. ‘We haven’t mated yet, but I can feel him, I need him. I want him,’ he blurted before he looked up at who he had been talking with and he blushed. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be unloading-’

‘Dad stop,’ Draco interrupted as politely as he could.

‘What?’ Lucius asked staring at Draco with something like wonder.

‘I said stop, it’s okay I don’t mind. I want to talk with you about stuff like this,’ Draco replied, with a slightly embarrassed smile.

‘No, what did you call me?’ he clarified.

‘Dad,’ he replied confused, ‘but-’ Lucius cut him off by pulling him into a hug, a very tight, very affectionate embrace.

‘You haven’t called me that since you were three, of course it was Daddy then,’ Lucius stated, his voice a more than a little shaky. Draco’s hands clutched at Lucius’ clothing.

Harry watched the pair with a mix of wonder, confusion, anger and sadness. He managed to make his way a little further down Remus, who groaned and stirred.

‘Why is there a Kneazle trying to nest on my chest?’ he asked groggily, his hand moving to absently scratch the small thing. ‘And why does he smell like my Harry cub?’

The kitten on his chest stared at Severus, who had just come in with Poppy, with something that seemed to be a mix of horror and relief.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Severus chided gently. ‘They were going to find out sooner or later,’

Harry gave a pitiful cry before nuzzling into Remus. The other three could only stare at Severus in confusion. Severus relished being the only that knew something for a change.

‘Because he _is_ Harry.’


	12. Chapter 12

Remus, Lucius and Draco stared at Severus stupidly before they all turned to look at the Kneazle that was still in Remus’ hands.

Harry “merowed” and batted playfully at Remus’ nose.

Remus started laughing.

Lucius and Draco stared at Remus like he’d finally gone ‘round the bend.

Severus merely smirked.

‘Harry?’ Lucius finally asked prodding the dangling kitten. Harry meowed and began to squirm in Remus’ hands.

‘Oh crap,’ Draco moaned, dropping his head onto the bed.

‘Ow,’ Remus blurted as he dropped Harry onto the bed. ‘He bit me,’ he explained, sucking on the bleeding wound.

‘I think he wanted you to put him down,’ Severus offered from his spot by the door.

Remus gave the darker man a weak glare, but didn’t say anything. They all watched as Harry moved over to Draco. Harry gently pressed his paw against Draco’s cheek.

The blonde spared the kitten an eye, ‘what?’ he growled. Harry butted Draco and gave him a gentle lick.

‘We are so having a long talk when your human, Potter,’ Draco replied as he ran a cursory hand over Harry’s back, giving a gentle tug to one of his tails.

‘Can anyone tell me how my cub ended up as a kitten?’ Remus asked, still amused but also worried about his cub.

Severus sighed and let Poppy finish her silent exam of Lucius and Remus before he took a seat. ‘We don’t know, no one has come forward admitting anything and well, you’ve seen Potter,’ he replied. ‘He met someone out on the pitch and then he was a Kneazle kitten. At least according to Weasley, though I don’t know how much of what he says can be trusted.’

‘Oh,’ Remus started, ‘well then, how do we change him back?’ he asked, like it was the simplest thing to do.

Severus tried very hard to not smack the other man. ‘If we don’t know how he became a Kneazle then trying something to turn him back could be more harmful than not,’ he ground out.

‘Have you tried extracting the memories?’ Remus asked, watching as Draco began to tease Harry with a necklace. Harry pounced on it before Draco could pull it away, the kitten tried to pull the necklace away but Draco had a firm hold on the platinum chain, and a rousing game of tug of war ensued.

‘If Harry can’t remember what happened than there would be no point to trying to extract them, because they wouldn’t be there,’ Lucius replied.

‘What about reversing the transfiguration?’ Draco offered as Harry leaped from the bed to Draco’s lap.

Severus sighed, ‘I wasn’t able to last night, it was late and we were both overly tired,’ he replied as he suddenly found the floor rather fascinating.

Both Lucius and Remus burst into laughter. Draco and Harry only looked confused, which only made the other two laugh harder.

‘What? What is it?’ the younger blonde asked, slightly upset at being left out.

 Severus scowled at the hyenas but didn’t reply. He did, however, pick up Harry-Kit to place him on the floor, away from any furniture. A flash of white light surrounded the Kneazle and when it was gone, only a small black and white Kneazle remained.

Lucius and Remus sobered at the sight.

Severus gently lifted the Kneazle and cuddled him close. ‘I apologize for that, Kit, but I had to try,’ he murmured softly. Harry nodded and nuzzled Severus, purring softly to comfort the older man. 

‘So why were you too laughing like idiots?’ Draco asked with a glare at his father and Remus.

Lucius smirked, ‘because Severus hadn’t actually thought to try to just turn Harry back.’

‘So now that we’ve tried that, what do we do now?’ Remus asked, watching one of his oldest friends with his cub, he gave a soft smile at the pair. Severus didn’t coo at Harry, and well, the kitten seemed to be luxuriating in the attention that Severus was giving him.

‘And now, we research,’ Lucius offered with a slightly German accent. Remus snorted and Severus gave him an unimpressed glare.

Remus gave an odd sort of “meep” and wiggled slightly. Draco looked at him weirdly but didn’t say anything.

‘You both can go whenever you’re ready to,’ Poppy announced from the door. No one had noticed that she had left or come back.

‘Is there anything you can do for Harry?’ Draco blurted.

‘Harry?’ Poppy repeated. ‘Unless I can examine him, there isn’t much I can do,’ she replied sadly.

Severus deposited the feline into Poppy’s startled arms. ‘Severus, why am I holding your familiar?’

‘Because,’ Remus replied with a very large grin, ‘that _is_ Harry!’

Poppy gave a surprise gasp and held the animal up at eye level, ‘my goodness, it is you Mr. Potter?’ Harry replied with a noise of affirmation.

‘Well this is certainly new and interesting, even for you, Harry,’ she replied. ‘You tried reversing it?’ she asked to the room at large.

Severus growled in response, Poppy was un-phased by it and Remus and Lucius gave soft chuckles.

‘Of course, well,’ she unloaded the kitten back into Severus arms. ‘I have to look through the books see if there’s anything I can find,’ she said almost absently as she turned to leave.

‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ Remus asked, rather eagerly.

‘There are several books on Transfiguration in the library, Irma will know the ones I mean,’ she replied with a wave of her hand as she vanished out the door and into her own office.

Remus was up and in the bathroom before any of the others really knew what was going on.

‘Is he really as excited as I think he is for research?’ Draco asked, watching the door in curious confusion.

Lucius was just as curious as his son, he knew a great deal about his almost-mate but not everything. Both blondes looked to Severus.

‘Yes, he really is,’ Severus replied absently as he mentally ran through potions that might help Harry.

Lucius and Draco shared surprised and amused looks.

‘I have to go start brewing, there are a few potions that might help Harry,’ Severus stated as he stood to set Harry-Kit on the bed.

Harry immediately started to make noise, hissing and snarling as he clawed at Severus’ robes.

‘Severus!’ Lucius lightly admonished, surprised that Severus was going to leave Harry-Kit with them.

‘What?’ he snapped as he untangled the kittens claws from his robes as set him on the bed.

‘I think you’re familiar wants to go with you,’ he said, giving a pointed look to the small kitten.

Severus glanced at the small thing and winced, the kitten had huge eyes and his ears were down while his tails were wrapped around him. All in all, he made a rather pitiful sight.

Severus swallowed, and scooped up the kitten that immediately perked up. ‘Don’t say a word,’ he stated as he swept from the room. Draco and Lucius were snickering as Remus returned fresh from the bathroom.

‘What I miss?’ he asked, looking from Draco to Lucius. ‘Bah! Doesn’t matter, who’s up for a research party?’ he asked eagerly as he rubbed his hands together and headed for the door.

‘Is he serious?’ Draco asked, watching the older man in horror.

‘I think he is,’ Lucius replied, similarly horrified.

‘You boys coming?’ Remus called behind him.

‘No!’ both blondes replied in unison.

‘You don’t know what you’re missing!’ he called back before he exited the infirmary.

Neither blonde said or did anything in reply. Unable to comprehend the … wonder…  they’d just witnessed.

=^.^=

‘Hello Miss Granger,’ Remus stated as he dropped a pile of books on the table with a loud thud.

‘Holy Merlin’s testicles!’ she blurted as she jumped, almost knocking over her chair and turning a bright red as she caught sight of the former Professor Lupin.

‘Relax, Granger. He’s harmless,’ Draco offered as he appeared beside Remus.

Hermione blinked at the two men in surprise, unable to figure out why they were both settling themselves at her table.

Draco spoke first. ‘I am sorry Granger, about what I’ve said in the past, I wasn’t really myself and I was wondering, if maybe we could perhaps, start over,’ he mumbled. About half way through his speech he had begun to blush and fiddle with a quill that had been sitting on the table.

Hermione, who was still stunned by their appearance, could only blink. She finally managed to shake herself back to reality and she offered Draco her hand,

‘Please,’ she started with a small smile, ‘call me Hermione.’

Draco returned her smile and shook her hand. ‘Draco,’ he offered.

‘So what’s with all the books?’ she asked with a wave over the books.

‘We’re trying to figure out how to turn Harry back,’ Remus replied absently, already absorbed in a book.

‘Turn Harry back to what?’ Hermione asked concerned and slightly angry.

‘Human,’ Remus replied airily.

‘Could one of you please explain to me what the hell is going on?’ Hermione snapped, more at Remus than Draco.

‘Draco, you’re up,’ Remus waved at the blonde, nonplussed by her behaviour.

Draco growled at Remus. He “accidentally” dropped a book on Remus’ foot, and as the older man rubbed his now bruised foot, he scowled at the blonde.

‘Hermione, can I talk with you someplace with a little bit more privacy?’ Draco asked, surprisingly politely as he ignored the low growl from beside him.

The brunette looked between the werewolf and the blonde in confusion. ‘Of course,’ she replied as she stood and followed Draco out into the hall, to a quieter place than the library.

=^.^=

Draco spent five minutes pacing as he tried to figure out how to tell Hermione about Harry.

‘Just tell me already!’ Hermione blurted, ‘you’re making me dizzy.’

‘Harry was turned into a Kneazle!’ Apparently it was Draco’s turn to blurt.

Hermione’s eyes went wide as her hands came up to cover her mouth. Tears began to fall immediately.

Draco didn’t say anything; there wasn’t much to say, so he pulled the weeping girl into his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

Remus watched the pair until they disappeared out the library doors. He smiled softly before turning back to his tome on accidental magic.

Lucius had seen the two students as they as they headed for an empty classroom he then spent the next five minutes watching Remus as he read.

‘I don’t care if you go after your son and his friend, or if you start helping with the research but could you please stop staring at me?’ Remus requested as he turned the page, not looking up at the slightly older blonde.

Lucius chuckled. ‘I didn’t know I was making you nervous,’ he commented as he began to leaf through a slightly less tome-ish book.

‘I’m not nervous, it just makes me hard,’ Remus mumbled with a blush.

Lucius smirked. ‘What was that? I didn’t quite catch that,’ he said, leaning closer to Remus even though he had heard him perfectly from where he was.

‘It just makes it hard to focus,’ Remus said, his voice a little louder. It was very hard to focus with the blonde next to him; he had read one sentence four times before he had given up and turned the page, to make it look like he was actually reading.

‘I need you,’ Lucius braved as he leaned into the slightly smaller man.

Remus shuddered. ‘I know but Harry-cub needs our help,’ he replied, a twinge of sadness in his voice. He pulled away reluctantly, so that the presence of the man wouldn’t cloud his mind. He really needed to focus if he wanted to help Harry.

Lucius nodded, getting Harry to human form was the most important thing right now.

‘But afterwards…’

‘You will be mine,’ Remus growled. The pair shared a heated look, agreeing that as soon as Harry-cub was back to his two-legged self they would lay their claim on the other.

Lucius had to shift himself to get more comfortable, his pants too tight. Remus, who was just as uncomfortable, smirked as he continued read.

=^.^=

Hermione wiped at her eyes, finally managing to get a hold of her emotions.

‘Please tell me Harry is Kit and I just didn’t weep all over you because I’m huge dunce, not that I should have kicked the Kneazle in the first place, no matter that if he was just a Kneazle or a poor wizard that’d been turned into a Kneazle,’ Hermione babbled, surprising Draco.

‘Yes, Kit is Harry, or Harry is Kit, however you want to put it,’ Draco replied, giving her a squeeze.

‘Merlin, why did I let that stupid twat have so much influence on me?’ she asked angrily, though her anger wasn’t directed at Draco. ‘Oh that conniving, little no good, irritating small pricked ass hat!’ she blurted.

‘Hermione?’

‘He drugged me!’

‘What?’ Draco hissed.

‘We were talking about Harry and Ron said he had new products from the twins. It was only supposed to make whoever ate it lie, sort of like veriteserum but different. Everything they said was wrong.’  She replied as she took over Draco’s pacing.

She muttered to herself, seeming having forgotten about the blonde. Draco watched her as she had an avid conversation with herself, arms flailing as she began to argue with an invisible opponent.

‘Beautiful,’ Draco muttered as she passed him.

‘What?’ she demanded as she spun around to glare at him.

 Draco blushed, ‘oh uh, nothing, Ron’s an idiot.’

‘That he is,’ Hermione agreed. ‘I have to talk to Fred or George,’ she blurted suddenly.

‘What? Why?’ Draco asked as she headed back the library.

‘Because,’ she rolled her eyes, ‘they made the product, maybe they made something else.’

‘That would maybe change someone into a Kneazle kitten,’ Draco replied, realizing where Hermione was going.

‘We should head back to the library, I can write to the twins and then we can help Remus with his research,’ she replied, her excitement slowly rising. ‘If I help Harry become human again then he’ll at least have to talk to me at some point.’ She reasoned with herself, before she grinned at Draco, ‘I love research parties,’ she stated, rubbing her hands together.

Draco groaned but followed her back to the library.

=^.^=

Harry watched Severus as he flipped through several books.

‘I have no idea where to start,’ Severus admitted slamming the fifth book shut that he hadn’t actually read.

Harry padded over to the pile of books that Severus had piled onto the desk. He pawed one on accidental magic and mewed.

‘You think you were turned by accident?’ Severus asked, pulling the book out. Harry shook his head and stepped on the book so he could look over the table of contents that Severus had opened it to.

He pawed at one of the chapters.

‘Miscast magic?’ Severus read aloud. ‘Do you remember what happened?’ he ran his fingers through Harry’s fur.

Harry leaned into the touch, even as he shook his head and nodded at the same time.

‘What is it, yes you do or no you don’t?’ Severus asked in confusion.

Harry nodded.

‘You remember some of it but not anything of importance,’ he stated.

Harry nodded again.

‘Not very helpful, brat,’ Severus said, gently poking Harry’s forehead. Harry growled and swatted at the hand. It didn’t take long for them to start fighting, Severus would cover Harry’s head with his hand and Harry would pounce.

Finally Severus had Harry pinned under his hand, but Harry had his claws in the back of Severus hand as he gnawed on a finger.

‘I don’t know why you’re here imp,’ Severus half asked, half inquired as he began to gently rub the feline’s belly.

 _Because I want to be._

‘You have a large amount of misplaced trust,’ he commented as he continued to pet Harry.

 _It’s not misplaced, because I know exactly where it is._

‘You could be with your wolf and his Malfoy,’ Severus said, a little sadly.

 _He’s not you._

Severus shook his head, still unable to wrap his mind around the pair. ‘He must be soft in the head to have taken up with that Malfoy,’ he chuckled, ‘but Lupin’s always been soft in the head.’

 _So have you._

‘Merlin, I wish you could tell me what you’re thinking. Why you haven’t left. What the hell happened to you,’ Severus was almost growling.

Harry squirmed out from Severus’ hand only to butt his head against it and lick one of the wounds. He began a rumbly purr as Severus scooped him up and cuddled him against his chest.

 _I want to touch you, to talk to you so badly, Sev. I don’t want to leave, I like being with you. I feel safe and wanted with you, not that I don’t with Remus but he’s like my father, you are... something else. Not my father. I only remember going out to the pitch with Ron._

He butted his head against Severus’ chest.

 _I wish you could hear me._

Severus gave a sigh before holding Harry-Kit to eye level, ‘I suppose I should get back to trying to make you normal,’

 _Yes please!_

‘Or as normal as you were,’ he smirked, before tucking Harry-Kit onto his shoulder.

 _Hey! No fair I can’t defend myself._

Harry would have pouted if he could have, instead he bit Severus’ ear, not too hard but hard enough.

‘Brat,’ he rubbed at his ear, poking Harry’s side.

Harry purred and nuzzled Severus’ neck.

Severus began to flip through several books, and soon had several cauldrons brewing.

Harry sat on a desk, away from the brews, marvelling at Severus’ ability to brew several potions at the same time. He was lucky if he could brew one potion at any given time.

As Severus worked he explained what he was doing, and found that he understood what the man was doing. Harry was eager to try his hand at making some of them, well maybe the easier one. If Severus was watching over his shoulder, guiding his hand and that was somewhere he wasn’t willing to go while he was still an infant feline.

Harry sighed and curled up, somehow managing to fall into a light doze.

‘I don’t know what I’ll do when you’re you again,’ Severus smooth voice brought Harry-Kit from his doze, ‘it’s been nice having someone here, someone to talk to, even if you have been a Kneazle. You should know Harry-Kit that you are always welcome down into these dark, dank, miserable dungeons. You are more than welcome into my office, my lab, my rooms, if you ever just want to get away.’

 _What if I just want to see you?_

‘But please don’t let that be the only reason you come to see me,’ Severus add, barely louder than a whisper. Harry didn’t think he’d been meant to hear it, but he had, and he would come see Severus whenever he could, whether the potion master wanted to see him or not.


	14. Chapter 14

Harry slowly eased into consciousness.

He remembered the night before as Severus, Lucius, Remus and Draco had fed him the six potions that Severus had made trying to make him human again.

Before he had become a lab experiment, Draco had taken him aside. ‘I hope you don’t mind, I told Hermione about you,’ he said apologetically. ‘She seemed really broken up about what she did to you,’ he added almost as an afterthought.

Harry huffed; he would talk to the witch later, for Draco he nodded before trying to look at the three older men.

He only retched once when he was fed the different concoctions and that was only because it tasted like blue cheese, cinnamon and fennel.

The first potion made him glow purple but otherwise left him unharmed. It did confirm that Harry, was in fact, a Kneazle, because they hadn’t figured that out already.

The second potion managed to turn him into a black and white turtle. He was even cuter as a turtle. He fit into the palm of Draco’s hand.

The third potion somehow managed to turn him into a fully grown African Elephant. They weren’t really sure how that happened. He was still black and white.

The fourth potion took a few minutes to work. He slowly began to glow a very pretty shade of teal before he was suddenly a pygmy Dragon. Shiny black and white scales and the ability to shoot ice crystals when someone (Lucius) stepped on his tail had them quickly administrating the fifth potion.

That had him turning into a snake. A very long, very thick snake that was slowly curling around Severus.

The final potion turned him back into a Kneazle again, which had prompted Draco to blurt, ‘Hey, you’re a Kneazle again!’

Everyone else had glared at Draco.

He smiled at the memory. If he couldn’t be human he’d much rather be Kit the Kneazle, and not Kit the seven foot long python, thank you very much.

He stretched, relishing in the feeling of slightly burning muscles as he pointed his toes and splayed his fingers. He yawned as he scratched his stomach and moved to the bathroom.

An inhuman shriek-howl from the bathroom had Severus rushing from the living room where he’d been working on some paperwork.

‘Harry-Kit, what is it?’ he asked, bursting into the bathroom.

‘I have ears and a tail!’ Harry yelled holding one of the two tails that were behind him.

‘Actually you have two tails,’ Severus pointed out, oddly calm.

‘I have two tails!’ Harry yelled in disbelief.

‘Harry,’ Severus said softly, staring in awe at beautiful man-boy-cat that was standing in his bathroom. The very naked man-boy-cat that was standing in his bathroom.

‘Oh sweet Circes’ hairy testicles!’ Harry blurted, trying to use his tails to cover his nudity. ‘I’m people again! I’m a people with cat ears and two tails! Sev, why am I a people with ears and two tails?’ he asked holding up his fingers in case Severus didn’t know how many 2 was.

‘Perhaps, whatever you had been under simply wore off?’ he suggested trying very hard to not gape at the lean, lightly muscled, naked young man-cat in his bathroom

‘Ha!’ Harry barked a laugh, ‘this is me we’re talking about Sev, nothing is ever that simple!’ he stated before he was suddenly a tiny, itty, bitty, confused Kneazle again.

‘Severus?’ Remus called as he and Lucius appeared in Severus’ living room.

‘Well isn’t that interesting,’ Severus said with a raised eyebrow. ‘Come on, Kit, let’s go see what the wolves want.’

=^.^=

‘Which one did you take?’ George asked calmly, as he twirled his wand between his fingers.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Ron whimpered, as he struggled weakly against the bonds that kept him tied to the chair. ‘No! Please, get it away!’

‘I don’t know, you’ve managed to put both our little sister and little brother through hell,’ Fred replied, playing with the object of Ron’s distress.

‘I didn’t do anything to Ginny!’ Ron protested, trying to get away from Fred.

‘I’m talking about Hermione,’ George replied.

‘Stupid bitch!’ he snarled. Fred moved closer to Ron, who shrivelled up began to keen.

‘What did you do Harry and Hermione?’ George asked, clearly exasperated.

‘Nothing!’ Ron yelled angrily.

‘Bullshit,’ George stated as Fred placed the large tarantula on Ron’s lap.

Ron started to shake, ‘get it off!’ he bellowed as he tried to jerk around to dislodge the spider, but his bonds kept him still.

‘I’ll take it off when you tell us what you did to Harry and Hermione,’ Fred said calmly.

‘I gave her the thing that you were working on that made people lie,’ he sobbed, ‘and I don’t know what happened to Harry, I gave him something but it wasn’t labelled and nothing happened, I cast a memory charm on him but nothing happened!’ he pleaded. ‘I didn’t do anything!’

‘Thank you,’ Fred said as he picked up the spider. He and George headed to door.

‘He’s all yours,’ George said to the older men that were waiting outside the door.

‘Good job boys,’ Shacklebolt stated, he and Arthur stared at the sorry sight inside the storage room of Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.

‘Yeah, well, he’s a jerk,’ George stated as Fred set the spider in a terrarium.

‘Well he’ll be working at the hospital, in the spell damage ward, with the cleaners.’ Arthur offered, ‘and he won’t be going to back to Hogwarts, if he wants, which he should be doing, he’ll be able to take his N.E.W.T.s  in about three years.’

‘Deserves more,’ Fred muttered.

‘Yes well,’ Arthur said, not quite sure what he could say.

‘I’ll take Ron in,’ Shacklebolt said as he pulled Ron after him, ‘you can pick him up in a few days,’ he told Arthur, who nodded.

Ron scowled at his father and brothers as Shacklebolt placed a portkey into his hands. With a flash the pair was gone, leaving the twins with their father.

‘We’re sorry Dad,’ Fred started, he was equal parts furious at Ron and angry at himself.

‘We had no idea what he was doing,’ George continued, already trying to work out what Ron had taken.

‘We’ll get to work on an antidote,’

‘Tell Harry we’ll make it right, and that we didn’t mean for this to happen.’

Arthur pulled his sons into his arms, ‘we’ll figure this out. Harry is in good hands.’

=^.^=

Harry gave a pitiful cry as he stared up at a startled Severus.

‘Well that was weird,’ Severus stated as he bent to pick up the once again Kneazle Harry.

 _‘I know, I was human, wasn’t I?’_ Harry wondered to himself.

‘You were, at least, I’m pretty sure you were,’ Severus replied. ‘Though you had ears and two tails,’ he added as he fingered one of Harry’s tufts.

 _‘So what does that mean?’_

Severus sighed, ‘I don’t know Harry-Kit, I’ll have to ask the wolves. They might have a better idea about all of this. Maybe Draco and Granger could help.’

Harry growled softly at the mention of Granger.

‘She is devastated by her actions, both against you and the poor Kneazle,’ Severus asked. An agitated yowl startled both, ‘and of course how she’s treated that beast,’ Severus replied with a nod to Crookshanks.

Harry bound over to the giant ginger cat and pounced, Crookshanks dropped to the floor and rolled, letting Harry-Kit lie on his stomach. Harry nuzzled the cat and purred in apology for forgetting about him.

‘Severus?’ Remus asked as he found them in the hallway.

‘Harry was just a people – a human, and I’m not sure, but I think we were just chatting,’ he stated, with a bewildered look to Harry-Kit. ‘We were chatting, well I was, but I could hear him, you, I,’ he blurted before Harry was in his mind again.

 _‘Severus is sexy.’_

Severus blushed, ‘keep your thoughts to yourself, brat,’ he glared weakly at him, his blush diminishing some of the evilness.

‘What? What did he say?’ Remus asked, looking from Severus to Harry-Kit in confusion.

Harry-Kit and Severus turned to look at Remus, ‘you didn’t hear him?’

Remus looked from Harry-Kit to Severus in confusion, ‘no, he’s a Kneazle, no offence Harry-cub, but it isn’t exactly easy to communicate with them,’ he said softly.

Harry-Kit looked from Remus to Severus, he could talk to snakes, _‘how hard would it be to communicate with a Kneazle, or any other feline,’_ Harry thought, looking right at Remus.

‘That, my Harry-kit, is an excellent question, he wants to know why, if he can speak to snakes, why is it so hard to believe that someone can talk with felines,’ Severus translated for Remus, who blushed and looked a little ashamed. If anyone noticed the term of affection they didn’t say anything.

‘Okay sure, but Harry hasn’t been making any noises, are you communicating via thoughts?’ Remus began to pace, as he thought things through. Severus didn’t get a chance to offer.

‘Maybe, because of all the time you’ve been spending with each other, you both wanted to be able to communicate with the other. Since Severus can talk, and Harry-cub can hear and understand him, it was only a matter of being able to hear Harry. Yes he can make an assortment of noises but he can’t actually say anything. So why now? Why can you hear Harry now? What changed?’ he looked between Harry and Severus, who were both watching him with amusement, ‘So maybe it was magic?’ he replied.

‘Could it have been a mutual desire?’ Severus asked eyeing Harry who was moving to him.

‘ _I did wish I had been able to talk with you,’_ Harry offered as he began to purr softly from his spot at Severus’ feet.

‘We both wanted the ability to communicate with each other last night, and Harry was human this morning,’ Severus offered as he scooped up the kitten.

Remus gave a small grin, ‘that would do it,’ he offered, ‘so human,’ he began.

‘Why is he a Kneazle again?’ Lucius asked, causing everyone to stare at the blonde in surprised confusion.

 _‘Stupid magic!’_

‘Yes, I quite agree,’ Severus replied dryly.


	15. Chapter 15

Lucius paced Severus’ classroom silently as Severus, Remus, Draco and Harry-Kit watching the blonde man as he traversed the large room.

 _‘Severus? When you said, “my Harry-Kit”, did you mean it?’_

Severus blinked in surprise before lifting Harry so the kitten could see into his eyes. ‘I did,’ Harry’s purr was deafening, ‘however we will talk about it when you can stay human when someone walks into earshot,’ he replied with a smirk.

 _‘I was naked!’_

Harry’s only reply was a deep chuckled, not that Harry’s purring stopped at all, or even faltered really.

‘So let me get this straight,’ Lucius started for the third time. ‘Harry was somehow turning into a Kneazle. A kitten Kneazle. And Crookshanks, who is half Kneazle and belongs to Granger, took him under his paw. Granger, who was decidedly, not herself, attacked Harry who was an infant Kneazle before Severus could save him. Severus then healed the kitten and took him as his own when no one claimed him,’ no one bothered to answer or correct anything, because honestly, no one was really listening to him anymore, ‘and then one night, Harry wakes up human, with a few additions, and when Remy and I show up he’s back to a Kneazle only this time he can think-talk with Severus,’ he finished.

‘That about sums it up,’ Severus replied automatically.

‘Does this give anyone else a headache?’ he asked dropping into a convenient chair.

‘You have no idea,’ Severus drawled.

‘Why haven’t we asked Dumbledore for help?’ Draco suddenly asked.

Lucius and Severus gaped at the blonde.

‘That’s a very good question my boys, why haven’t you?’ Dumbledore asked, appearing in the doorway.

Neither man could answer but Albus didn’t let them, he simply waved it off, ‘no matter, I am only here to tell you that Ronald Weasley confessed to doing something to poor Mr Potter,’ he said as he rummaged in his pockets. ‘He said he gave Harry something his brothers had been working on, something that would turn the “victim” into an infant version of their animagus form. He then attacked him with an unknown spell when nothing happened, Ronald cannot remember the spell. He will not be coming back here, not that he would be welcome. He is working in spell damaged ward at St. Mungo’s.’ Dumbledore finished as he gave a triumphant cry as he pulled out a small package from an inside pocket. ‘I don’t know what I can do to help young Harry because I don’t know what has been done to him exactly,’ he said almost apologetically.

‘Dumbledore,’ Severus warned.

 _‘It’s okay Severus, he’s been doing what he can,’_ Harry-Kit stated, rubbing against Severus’ hand. _‘Crookshanks has been watching him.’_

‘Is that where the mighty beast has been hiding?’ Severus asked, mildly amused.

‘He is quiet affectionate,’ Albus replied, with a fond smile of remembrance.

Severus snorted, as did Draco, ‘he’s a vicious beast!’ Crookshanks, who had wondered in with the older wizard, growled.

‘Who is very sweet and loving,’ Draco added hastily, as he pulled his feet up onto his chair.

Crookshanks glared at Draco as he sauntered past the blond and into Severus’ room.

‘Stay off my pillow,’ Severus called after the ginger menace.

Crookshanks flicked his tail before he disappeared into the room.

Severus scowled at where the cat had been.

‘Have you tried turning back?’ Remus asked Harry.

Harry nodded, _‘it just makes me itch_ ,’ he offered to Severus, who snorted.

‘It makes you itch?’ Severus repeated, amused.

‘It makes him itch?’ Remus echoed, bewildered.

‘ _Itch_ ,’ Harry repeated.

‘That may be the magic that’s keeping Harry from being human,’ Draco offered suddenly.

Five pairs of eyes stared at Draco.

Dumbledore grinned, ‘Fred and George will be in tomorrow with the prototypes that they think their brother may have stolen and any antidotes,’ he announced with a twinkling smile. ‘See you tomorrow,’ he added with a wave as he vanished from the room.

‘That man makes me so confused,’ Draco admitted as he rubbed his eyes and massaged his temples.

Lucius chuckled, ‘he makes everyone confused,’ he stated. He sighed and stretched as he stood, ‘we should go, there isn’t much we can do for Harry until we know what the Weasley used on him, so I suggest we go,’ he gave Remus a suggestive look, one that was about one step below a lurid eyebrow waggle, ‘and leave Severus with his familiar.’ This time he gave Severus a suggestive look.

‘I would actually like to better acquaint myself with Harry,’ Severus sneered, even as he shook his head in amusement.

‘I’m sure you would,’ Lucius smirked.

‘Go away, Lucius,’ Severus stated, as he turned to examine a stack of papers on his desk, that Harry was sleeping on.

‘ _Oh, Oh! Sev! Tell Draco to tell Hermione and Seamus and Neville about me! Oh and Ginny too, she might be worried too...’_ Harry blurted, a little too loudly for Severus, who winced.

‘Brat,’ Severus scolded mildly, even as he scratched behind Harry-Kit’s ear.

‘ _A little lower.’_

Severus complied, ‘Harry-Kit wishes that you tell Granger, Longbottom, Weasley and Finnigan about what has happened to him,’ he stated before he glared weakly at Harry for making him a messenger.

 _‘Thank you,’_ Harry gave Severus’ hand a gentle lick.

‘I already told Granger, she might have spoken to the others, but I don’t know,’ he admitted with a blush.

‘Thank you, Draco,’ Severus offered before the blonde practically bolted from the room.

‘ _Oh and tell him, he should start calling her Hermione, if he wants a chance with her,’_ Harry quipped, causing Severus to burst into surprised laughter.

‘Yes, well, we have papers to grade and students to bust and whatnot,’ Lucius stated suddenly. He and Remus had been whispering to each other for a few minutes. The blonde all but manhandled the slightly shorter man out of the room as Remus practically howled with laughter.

‘Come my Harry-Kit,’ Severus scooped up the kitten and the papers. ‘You can help me with these papers,’ he said, rubbing his cheek on the top of Harry’s head.

=^.^=

Draco slowly made his way to the library. He figured that of all the people he had to find, Granger would be the easiest, in the library.

And she was.

Reading up on animal transformations, and how they could go wrong.

No one ever accused the girl of being slow. Well, Draco had but that was before and it didn’t matter now, because she wasn’t, most of the time.

‘Granger?’ he said softly, so not to startle her, not that it worked. She still gasped and jumped in her chair.

‘Oh, Malfoy, what-how are you?’ she asked, blushing.

‘I’m good,’ he swallowed, trying to get his mouth to not be so dry, ‘how are you?’

It was Hermione’s turn to blush, ‘I’m better, I’m sorry for what happened earlier, I didn’t...’

Draco held up a hand to stop her apology, ‘don’t worry, it’s okay, really,’ he insisted, ‘I come bearing news, do you know where Longbottom, Finnigan and Weasley are?’

‘Um, Neville’s probably in the green houses, he’s been working with Professor Sprout on something and Ginny and Seamus are probably out on the pitch, why?’ she replied.

‘Harry wanted me to tell you that he’s okay,’ he paused. ‘There’s more, but I’d rather tell you all at once, if you don’t mind?’ he said, hoping he hadn’t hurt or feelings or anything.

Hermione gave Draco a soft smile, she understood, though she wished that he just wanted to talk to her, alone, but he had come to find her first, so that had to mean something, right?

‘We can get Neville on the way to the pitch,’ she offered as she began to pack up her things. She moved to stack the books she’d been using and when she went to pick up the pile she wanted to check out, Draco took the stack from her.

‘Let me,’ even though he was already re-arranging the four books so they would be easier to carry.

‘Thank you,’ Hermione blushed as she led Draco to the green houses. Draco mentally smacked himself, her best friend could be in mortal peril, okay, maybe Harry wasn’t in “peril” but Hermione was worried about the dark haired teenager and here Draco was, flirting with her! He shouldn’t be, should he? No! Not while she was trying to figure out how she could make up the world of hurt she’d inflicted on her best friend that she considered a brother, but she was trying to figure out how to help him. Where was a nice place of wall when you needed it?

‘-needs Snape’s touch, to you know, help him.’ Draco heard Hermione say and then realized that she was talking animatedly to Neville, when had he shown up? And that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

‘What do you think, Malfoy?’ Neville asked, shuffling through a sheaf of parchment.

Draco could only blink in astonished confusement, ‘what?’ he asked, befuddled, causing Hermione to giggle and Neville to smirk in amusement.

‘You were totally on another planet, Draco,’ Hermione said, almost airily, her cheeks tinged pink again as she ventured using his name.  

‘Seamus is a very versatile player,’ Neville said, pointing to the air above the pitch as he and Ginny chased after the snitch, which was actually flying right to them.

As it cleared the pitch, Draco realized that the shiny, winged ball was not stopping or changing its trajectory, he did the only thing that made sense to him. He tossed the books he was carrying at Neville who jumped back in surprise before he tried to catch them, only to land on his backside, a book open on his lap, one under him, having broken his fall, one open on his head and the last book clutched safely to his chest.

Draco, for his part, grabbed Hermione after shoving the books and Neville and spun Hermione out of the way. He stumbled as he turned, but managed to land so that she was laying on him. Draco let out on “oof” of air as they landed. Hermione staring wide eyed at Draco, who was under her.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked softly, as she brushed a stray lock of surprisingly soft hair off Draco’s forehead.

‘Never better,’ he replied, trying very hard to not grin like an idiot.

‘See, Shay! I told you something is wrong with this snitch!’ Ginny exclaimed, holding the still flapping ball dangerously close to Seamus’ nose.

‘Alright, we can tell Madam Hooch later,’ Seamus replied, wrapping his hand around Ginny’s hand, the one that was holding the snitch.

‘Kiss her already!’ Neville blurted, as he straightened himself, after having collected the books.

Draco and Seamus blushed almost identical deep reds and the mood was broken. No one knew who he was talking to but Ginny and Hermione were rather disappointed with the outcome, or lack thereof.

‘Can we sit up in the stands? Draco has news about Harry,’ Hermione announced, once she was back on her feet.

Neville studied Draco, unsure of what to make of him. He knew that this wasn’t the same teenager that had tormented him for years but, at the same time, he just couldn’t superimpose this new image of Draco over the old image of Malfoy, at least not yet.

‘Why does he have news?’ Neville asked, eye the blonde with mild scepticism.

‘That’s part of what I have to tell you,’ Draco replied, a little too cryptically for Neville’s taste.


	16. Chapter 16

Harry-Kit was all warm and snugly and half-asleep in Severus’ lap as the man read through the first essays of the year. He didn’t hear Severus slip the corrected papers in to the top drawer of his desk, and he didn’t hear Severus set down the quill or lock his classroom for the night. He certainly paid no mind when his warm and comfy bed stood and moved to the back of the class.

He blinked himself awake though when his warmth disappeared. He was on Severus’ bed.

 _‘Sev?’_

‘I’m just going to take a shower,’ he replied as he rubbed Harry-Kit’s ear. ‘You might want to consider trying to change back,’ he whispered as he dropped a soft kiss to the top of Harry-Kit’s head.

Harry-Kit watched Severus as he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door half open.

He sighed before stretching and making his way to the middle, he didn’t want to fall off.  The floor seemed far away for the little kitten he was and he didn’t want to get hurt again.

So he sat, with his tails curled around his feet and closed his eyes. He concentrated on being human, with clothing. He didn’t want to be naked in Severus’ bed – well, yes he did, but that wasn’t the point. He had seen Sirius transform not naked so he knew it was possible to do it. So he pictured himself wearing a simple tee-shirt and sleep pants. Easy enough, he hoped.

About ten minutes later a startled gasp brought Harry-Kit from his meditation.

‘Harry,’ Severus breathed in awe.

Harry blinked slowly as he peered up at Severus, only Severus didn’t seem to be as huge as he had been before.

‘Sev?’ he asked, his voice catching slightly.

Severus, who had come out of the bathroom wearing tattered grey sleep pants and a very warn shirt that spoke of a lady who thinks all that glitters is gold, moved to the bed, ‘you think you can stay like this?’ he asked, running a hand through his hair, and gently massaging his ear.

Harry purred softly, his eyes closing in bliss. ‘I don’t know,’ he replied, wanting nothing more than to curl up in Severus’ lap.

‘Would you like to find out?’ Severus asked, his hand travelling down to massage the back of Harry-Kit’s neck.

Harry simply nodded and mewled in distress when Severus moved away.

‘I am going to call Lucius and Remus, they have been anxious,’ he offered as he held his hand out for Harry, who let Severus pull him off the bed and onto his feet.

Severus chuckled softly at what Harry was wearing. Harry looked down at himself and blushed brightly.

He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and sleep pants, only they were patterned black and white, like his fur had been.

‘I guess I have to work on that,’ Harry said softly, running a hand down his shirt.

‘I think you look fetching,’ Severus said, with a light chuckle.

Severus tossed a bit of powder into the fire and had a quick chat with Lucius. The pair would be down in a few moments.

He turned back to Harry and tilted the younger man’s head and placed a soft, affectionate kiss to his lips, ‘we still have a vast assortment of things to learn about each other, I already know your favourite food is chicken fajitas, you talk to your familiar when you have to work out a problem, you write about everything, and that you absolutely love it when I rub your left ear just so,’ he reached up and demonstrated, causing Harry’s eyes to fall closed and a low rumbling to start in his chest. ‘I also know that you are loyal and determined and when you love you love wholly and you have this amazing capacity to forgive and you have an affinity for pranks, no doubt inherited from your father and his ilk,’ he sneered half-heartedly.

‘You seem to know an awful lot about me Sev, is there anything else you need to know?’ Harry asked, finally able to find his voice.

‘Your favourite colour,’ Severus began but was interrupted by a loud banging at his door.

‘Sev, giant bat, let us in before Remus’ breaks something!’ Lucius yelled.

Severus rolled his eyes as he sighed and went to let the pair in, leaving Harry in the living room, where he was standing with a goofy grin.

Suddenly Harry couldn’t breathe as he was pulled into a crushing hug, ‘Harry-Cub!’ Remus was holding him, holding him as a human, he wasn’t a Kneazle and it was Remus!

Harry a tight hold on Remus, ‘I’m glad you’re back,’ he said huskily, ‘I missed you, da.’ He whispered for only Remus to hear.

Lucius and Severus moved away to give the pair some privacy.

‘How long has he been human?’ the blonde asked.

‘Since I was in the shower,’ Severus replied, trying to not watch the pair as they sat on the couch together, Harry practically in Remus’ lap.

Lucius quirked an eyebrow at him, ‘the shower?’ he echoed.

Severus gave him a look that clearly stated he thought Lucius was being dense on purpose. ‘I was in the shower and he was on the bed, trying to be not a cat,’ he said flatly.

‘Well, he seems to be partly successful,’ Lucius offered, with a quirk of his upper lip.

‘Yes, well, it might be a side effect from the spell or the candy or both,’ Severus replied, openly watching as Harry and Remus talked animatedly. They had been together, in the same room, Harry-Kit had several naps on the man, but they hadn’t been able to communicate until now. And after not having seen each other for well over months and months, they had a lot to talk about.

Lucius let out a wistful sigh as he watched the pair, he hoped he could have that camaraderie with his own cub, or something like it. Maybe with Harry too, since he was in essence his cub now too.

‘He might just surprise you,’ Severus offered, with a cryptic smugness that irritated Lucius, mind you, Lucius had no idea who Severus might be referring to.

They both jumped in surprise, which they would later deny, when Remus gave a startled cry.

Sitting on Remus’ lap looking incredibly dejected, sat Harry-Kit, as a Kneazle.

Again.

=^.^=

Draco, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Seamus and Luna, who had suddenly appeared beside Neville, made their way up to the Room of Requirement. There had been too many students in the stands and around the pitch.

Luna and Ginny giggling about something only teenage girls giggle about. Draco and Hermione blushed as they tried to start a conversation with the other but only to end up speaking at the same time. Seamus and Neville watched both pairs with amusement.

They finally made it, and Ginny and Luna each pulled Seamus and Neville respectfully, onto one of three comfy couches, leaving Hermione and Draco to sit on the last one. At opposite ends. Awkwardly.

Neville and Luna were very comfortable together as she curled up against Neville.

Ginny and Seamus were less comfortable and less awkward, after a bit of uncertain shifting, Ginny simply shifted Seamus  so he was against the arm that was facing everyone, and she was leaning against his chest. They relaxed against each other.

‘So why are we here?’ Luna asked, ‘Have you finally figured out what happened to Harry?’

‘Did you know all this time?’ Hermione blurted, bristling in anger.

Luna gave her a calm look, ‘no, no one’s been forthcoming with information about Harry and I only knew of Harry’s disappearance from Neville.’

Hermione glared at the blonde, ‘Did you or did you not know anything about Harry?’ Hermione snapped, obviously the blondes less than forthcoming attitude was getting to her.

‘Hermione,’ Draco gently tugged on her arm, ‘she didn’t know anything.’

Neville watched, his hand on his wand, he knew Hermione was upset with what happened but that didn’t mean he trusted her anymore.

Draco gently massaged her back as he mumbled softly to her. Ginny and Seamus having their own private conversation to give the pair some semblance of privacy as Neville talked softly with Luna.

‘Now, Harry wanted me to tell you what happened,’ Draco announced after a few minutes.

Hermione seemed much calmer and as Draco talked she gave Luna a small, apologetic smile.

=^.^=

‘We’ve run several tests, Professor, and the only thing we can offer you is this, for Harry, he needs a new shampoo, it’ll help with the fleas, and to let this run its course, we don’t know for how much longer it’ll go on for but the more often he changes, the sooner he’ll be back to normal, though we think something might have messed with his DNA or something, he might have a few extra parts,’ the twins had been speaking in tandem and Harry, Severus and Dumbledore had all lost track of which twin was which.

‘ _I don’t have fleas!_ ’ Harry protested.

‘He doesn’t have fleas,’ Severus echoed, not that the others heard Harry’s protest.

‘Still, Severus it couldn’t hurt, if nothing else Harry will have a soft, shiny coat,’ Albus supported the twins, which got identical looks of surprise from George, Fred, Harry and Snape.

Severus scowled at the trio before making his way back to his rooms. After Harry had turned back into Kit, Severus had hoisted the kitten into his arms and stormed up to Dumbledore’s office, the headmaster had then summoned the Weasley Twins.

He didn’t hear it when Albus asked what the shampoo would do to Harry, and he certainly didn’t hear the reply that had the three in the office laughing so hard that Dumbledore had to dab at his eyes with a kerchief.

=^.^=

Severus grumbled all the way down to his rooms, and continued to grumble as he paced them, completely unaware of Remus and Lucius who were watching him from where they lay entangled. If still fully clothed.

‘ _Sev_ _?_ ’Harry had somehow managed to see the pair.

 _‘Sev?’_ he tried again, and was still ignored, he called the man’s name several more times, Lucius and Remus even giving it a go but nothing.

Finally Harry braced himself in Severus’ arms, ‘ _Oi_ _! Snevillus!’_ he shouted, sending out messages of love to all of his friends, one last time.

Severus stopped walking and held Harry up to eye level, his eyes were ice cold and when he spoke his voice sent chills, not of the good kind, down Harry’s spine.

‘What?’ There was a world of hurt for Harry in that one word.

Harry, for his part, blinked innocently and tried to bat at Severus’ nose, it had worked before, so why not now?

Severus sighed and sat in the empty chair.

‘We’ve been calling your name for five minutes,’ Lucius stated as he and Remus straightened themselves out.

‘Dumbledore called those blasted twins and the best they could come up with was wait and see, it should wear off soon,’ he replied, then held up the bottle that he was still carrying. ‘And then they told me to use this to get rid of Harry’s fleas,’ he scoffed at the idea that any pet of his would get something so plebeian as fleas.

Remus eyes sparkled as he caught sight of the bottle, ‘I don’t think it’s a flea shampoo,’ he stated confidently.

‘Yes, well, it wasn’t like I was planning on using it, anyway,’ Severus stated, setting the bottle on the table.

He levelled a glare at the snickering pair, ‘Don’t you have a mating to complete or something,’ he snarled.

Remus and Lucius pulled each other from the room, calling their good byes before disappearing into their own room.

Severus sat for a few moments holding Harry-Kit who was purring softly before he finally stood and headed into the bedroom to get ready for bed.

Later that night as Severus and Harry slept rather peacefully, one of the elves popped in to tidy Severus’ rooms, it found the bottle in the living room and moved it to the bathroom, setting it next to an identical bottle in the shower.


	17. Chapter 17

Harry decided that it would be safer for him if he stayed in Severus’ chambers until he stopped changing randomly from cat to human or human to cat.

He had tried changing back when he’d been with Remus. He had even tried changing back when he and Severus had been up in Dumbledore’s office with the twins. And, as he strained himself to the point of aneurysm, he sat with Severus, who was propped against the headboard reading, he tried to change back. Not that any of it worked. Really the only thing he’d managed so far was a headache and a twinge in his eye.

‘You sound constipated,’ Severus commented, dryly.

Nope, that wasn’t a factor in Harry’s decision to give up, not at all.

‘Why don’t you relax, Harry-Kit, all this straining can’t be good for you,’ Severus really tried to not to chuckle, really.

Harry scowled at Severus, making a weird noise that was part frustrated huff, part angry growl, before he curled up next to the man.

 _‘But I’m not talking to you,’_ he stated irritably.

‘I’m sorry Kit, I know this isn’t easy, but there’s nothing else to be done,’ Severus tried to sooth the irritation, but only seemed to make it worse.

 _‘And why not? You’re Mister I can make any potion with my eyes closed and my hands behind my back, why can’t you do anything?’_ Harry demanded, snarling.

All things considered, Harry had been, up until now, pretty good about the whole being turned into a Kneazle, and an infant Kneazle no less. He figured he was allowed to have a tantrum.

 _‘Why?’_ Harry-Kit demanded again.

‘I have, in case you’ve forgotten. I tried to help you, six times in fact,’ Severus replied, trying rather well to be calm.

 _‘Only six?’_ he snapped, _‘am I not good enough to save? Did you have better things to do with your time? Why did you stop trying?’_ by the time Harry finished his rant, his anger had become confused fear.

Severus sighed and counted to ten, he had expected this anger, had expected it earlier than this, much earlier. Like when Harry had been first turned, or the first time he’d become a human again.

‘Hush little one,’ he said softly, as he ran his hand through Harry-Kit’s fur. ‘You’re worth so much more than that, my Kit, but I don’t know what else to do. Any other potions could react badly with whatever else is in your system. The six I tried were the only ones that I knew would be safe. I’m sorry you feel that I haven’t been doing enough-’

 _‘I’m sorry Sev, I shouldn’t have snapped at you,’_ Harry-Kit interrupted Severus’ apology with one of his own. _‘I know you’re doing what you can but I’m just so frustrated with being a-’_

‘Kneazle,’ he finished aloud, as he was suddenly a people again. A very naked people who was sitting on Severus’s lap.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said after a moment of stunned silence. He moved to get off Severus’ lap but Severus kept a tight hold on his waist.

‘When have I ever not let you sit on my lap?’ he asked rhetorically, as he summoned a pair of sleep pants for Harry, who managed to squirm into them without leaving Severus’ lap.

Severus couldn’t keep back the moan.

Harry-Kit blushed a vibrant pink.

Neither one mentioned it as they settled in bed, Harry between Severus’ legs, leaning against the broad chest as Severus read from the book in his hands.

=^.^=

When Harry woke he was still human and judging by Severus’ charmed window it was still dark out.

He grinned to himself as he realized that Severus was spooned up against his back.

Merlin’s hairy beast, he had to pee!

When he was done with that, he took a moment to examine himself in the mirror. He still had the two tails and the ears on top of his head had tuffs of fur on them. He was about to head back to the warmth and comfort of Severus when something caught his eye.

Which was odd since it had been his eyes that caught his eye, and didn’t that sound like a cat –er- dog chasing its tail, because Harry had never, ever done that before. It was unbecoming of a Kneazle of his standing.

But it was so much fun!

He shook himself and went back to studying his eyes. They weren’t the normal round pupil of a human, but the oval slit of a cat.

One of his tails thumped against the counter, and the other against his leg. He reached around to bat it away absently but missed.

His leg was thumped again and he spun to try and catch it.

He missed and it thudded against his other leg. He spun around again, trying to get the offending tail. It took him a moment to realize that both his tails had conspired against him to thump against his legs.

It took another minute to realise that he was, in fact, chasing his tails.

They seemed to be winning.

He growled and straightened himself, ignoring the light brushes of fur against his leg.

If he had glanced in the mirror then, he would have found that his pupils had dilated so much that there was only a thin rim of golden green around them.

Sort of like Crookshanks after he’d been terrorizing the smaller animals around the castle, or irritating Ron. Harry suddenly wanted to play!

He thought he was pretty stealthy as he moved silently across the bedroom floor before he pounced onto Severus.

‘Oof!’ Severus began swearing colourfully before a small pitiful meow broke through his rant.

Harry-Kit was Kit again and he looked extremely disappointed for all of a second before he pounced on the mystery mound that had moved. The mound that had been Severus hand that was still under the blankets.

Severus moved his hand again and Harry-Kit pounced before he backed up and hunched, wriggling his arse in the air as he waited for his prey.

There!

Suddenly Severus’ hand moved and his foot went and Harry had no idea which one he should attack first and then there was a hand coming at his face and he launched himself at it.

And Severus couldn’t contain his laughter, watching the small ball of fur bounce around his bed after his hand and then latching on to his other hand had been far to entertaining.

Harry-Kit had calmed some and was softly purring in contentment as he clung to Severus hand and gently gnawed on one of his fingers.

‘You are very strange, my Harry-Kit,’ Severus offered, still chuckling softly as he let Harry-Kit gnaw on his finger. He gently wriggled his other fingers and Harry-Kit stopped his gnawing and tried to capture the other rogue digits.

Eventually Harry tired himself out and just snuggled into Severus hand to sleep.

Severus realized he had a class to teach in the morning and curled around his hand and his Harry-Kit.

=^.^=

Remus and Lucius sat side by side, their shoulders and thighs brushing together, in an awkward silence.

It was really the first time they’d been so totally alone since arriving at Hogwarts and they didn’t have the threat of someone running in on them to interrupt.

And despite their earlier encounters, neither one had any real idea what to do.

They had several false starts including bitten lips, banging foreheads, and a knee (Remus’) to a groin (Lucius).

After that they had each collapsed back against the couch. Well, Remus had, Lucius had inspected his groin for any damage, permanent or otherwise.

Remus watched for a moment before he grinned deviously – because that was the only word to describe it – before he practically melted off the couch and slid between Lucius parted thighs.

‘Let me help,’ he stated, his voice rumbled in a way that wasn’t quite a purr, but was perhaps the canine equivalent, if there was one.

Lucius gapped at the man on his knees in front of him. Gone was the mild-mannered, soft spoken, librarian-esque man, having been replaced by this wolf-ish predator, which really shouldn’t have surprised Lucius at all, all things considered.

Remus closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply as he moved up Lucius’ thigh to his groin which was already starting to harden.

Remus moaned in pleasure as the lust-filled scent of his mate filled him, wrapped around him.

He nuzzled at Lucius crotch, loving the feeling of the hardening flesh. He mouthed the fabric before running his hands up Lucius firm calves to his hard thighs.

Lucius gasped as one of Remus’ hands played with a nipple. He hadn’t even noticed the hand untuck his shirt; he had been so focused on the mouth at his crotch.

Remus grinned and popped the top button of Lucius trousers open, Lucius, who hadn’t notice when he had tilted his head back or when his eyes had closed, had to make a conscious effort to look at Remus.

Remus took the opportunity to serge upwards and devour Lucius’ mouth. Diving in with his tongue and coaxing Lucius’ out to play. As they tasted each other, they memorized each other; how they tasted, how they felt, how they moaned.

Remus tore open Lucius’ shirt, sending the buttons flying.

He left Lucius’ mouth and mouthed a trail of wet kisses and nips and swollen abused nipples as he moved down, toward his goal.

He took the free corner of Lucius’ trousers and tugged, pulling open the button fly.

He nuzzled the damp spot on Lucius boxer briefs before suckling on it, and the cockhead underneath. Lucius groaned, his hand grasping at Remus’ hair, the slight stabbing pain had Remus’ moaning.

Suddenly Remus grasped the waist band of Lucius’ pants and trousers and tugged, causing Lucius’ hips to jerk up, letting Remus pull the offending garments down, and freeing the trapped erection from its prison.

Lucius didn’t have time to register anything as Remus engulfed him in the wet heat of his mouth.

Remus had one hand on Lucius hip while the other, well, Lucius wasn’t sure what the other hand was doing because it was hidden by Remus’ clothing and his body.

Remus tongued the slit and scrapped his teeth and moaned and hummed and suckled on the head and swallowed it down to the root and suddenly, almost violently, Lucius was pulling at Remus’ hair and bucking his hips and shooting his release down Remus’ relaxed throat and howling in pleasure.

Remus crawled up Lucius to sit in the slightly bigger man’s lap. They shared a languid, yet passionate kiss that had Lucius tasting himself mixed with Remus. It was Lucius that pulled away reluctantly.

‘What about you?’ he asked, his eyes bouncing from Remus’ eyes to his lap, ‘let me take care of you.’

Remus grinned and brought his hand to his mouth, his tongue darting out to lick at the pearly white fluid on his hand. ‘I’ve been taken care of,’ he admitted half sheepishly, half sated contentment.

Lucius eyes never left that hand and he snatched it from Remus and began to bathe the hand with his tongue. Swiping the palm with one broad stroke, only to curl his tongue around each digit and darting between each of them. He took each finger into his mouth and sucked, his eyes never leaving Remus’.

The blonde could feel both himself and Remus began to harden again.

‘There’s something to be said about werewolf recovery time,’ Remus practically purred, he was doing that low rumbling thing again.

They languidly rocked against each other and Lucius gripped Remus’ arse, finally realizing that Remus had managed to shed his clothing, at least everything below his waist.

Remus reached to guide Lucius into himself, but the blonde stopped him. Lucius was surprised at how easily his questing fingers slid into Remus’ entrance.

 Remus moaned and pushed back onto the fingers in his arse.

‘Please, Luc, please, need you, in me, need, please,’ Remus babbled as Lucius pulled his fingers free, causing the slightly smaller man in his lap to moan, he then let Remus sink, oh so slowly, onto his erection.

Neither man knew if they wanted to howl, or sob, or laugh. Lucius was finally buried balls deep in Remus and the tawny haired werewolf was gently rocking himself, relishing the feeling of finally being full.

‘Harder Remus,’ Lucius pleaded, and with a tight hold on his hips, Lucius lifted Remus before Remus pushed himself down. It seemed to snap Remus out of whatever trance he’d been in and he clutched at Lucius shoulders as the blond held firmly to Remus hips, guiding him, both grips strong enough to leave bruises.

Without thinking Lucius reached between them, grasping Remus neglected erection that was trapped between them and began to stroke him erratically.

It didn’t take long, and when Remus felt that familiar tightening he nuzzled Lucius’ neck as the blond did the same.

Remus growled as he bit into Lucius’ shoulder as Lucius bit into Remus’ and Remus felt his channel filling and Lucius felt it on his chest and, as a comforting soft blue-ish green glow surrounded them, the collapsed into an exhausted, sated heap; each lapping at the claim mark on their mate.

=^.^=

Ron walked the ward; he had just finished his shift and was on his way home when something barrelled into him.

He sneered before he realized that it was just a kid about four or five.

The kid had large green eyes and an even bigger scar on his throat and shoulder and he looked terrified.

The kid reminded him of Harry when they’d first gotten to Hogwarts.

‘Jeremy,’ a small, worried nurse with black hair came running after the little boy. ‘Oh, Jeremy, don’t do that, everyone is so worried about you,’ she chided softly, as she moved toward the little boy, who whimpered and hid behind Ron.

‘All the candy is gone and you’re brother just wants to apologize,’ she tried to sooth the obviously distraught little boy.

‘What happened?’ Ron couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Anna, the nurse, gasped in surprise, as if finally noticing Ron, she glared at him. Everyone knew he had done something horrible, but no one was really sure what it had been. She thought for all of a fraction of a second, but decided that Jeremy’s story might make him see reason.

‘His brother found, what he thought was, candy but was actually an acid that their father was working on, he had no idea what it was but he gave it to his brother anyway, and when Jeremy ate it, it almost killed him, he hasn’t eaten anything voluntarily since, and he refuses to be in the same room with Johnny. He won’t ever talk again, not even magic can fix everything,’ she finished sadly.

Ron stared at Anna in shock, before glancing back at Jeremy. It had been Ron’s first day so he hadn’t actually seen much of anything, except offices and storage rooms and cleaning supplies.

Sure Ron’s own brothers, namely Fred and George, had done some rotten things to him, but Ron couldn’t even imagine being afraid of his own brothers.

Ron crouched in front of Jeremy and ran a hand over his scar.

Could Ron have permanently injured Harry? That hadn’t been his intention, had it? He had just wanted to scare Harry, he thought, in truth he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do to the other boy.

What if Harry was still lying in the grass under the stands, where no one could find him?

No, Harry was at Hogwarts someone was bound to find him. He was Harry Potter after all, he only had to go the bathroom without telling someone for people to think he’d been kidnapped.

‘It’s okay to be afraid, Jeremy,’ Ron was surprised to hear himself speak, hear himself comfort this irritating kid. ‘Your brother didn’t mean to hurt you,’ he spoke softly, like he was talking to a frightened animal, ‘sometimes bad things happen and no one means for them to but they do, but that’s why our parents are there, to protect us. They were there?’ he asked.

Jeremy nodded, but Anna spoke, ‘his parents were there, they feel terrible about what happened, but if they hadn’t been there…’ she trailed off, all three of them knowing Jeremy could have lost more than his voice.

‘You don’t have to forgive your brother, but he is family and he’s probably just as scared as you are.’

‘Come on, Jeremy,’ Anna held out her hand for the boy who gave Ron one last look before being led away, back to his own room.

Once Jeremy and Anna were gone, Ron shook his head, trying to clear it.

No, he and Harry were different. What he’d done to Harry was completely different then what had happened between Jeremy and Johnny. Harry wasn’t Ron’s brother or friend, he wasn’t Ron’s anything.

Harry had hurt Ron and Ron had only been returning the favour.


	18. Chapter 18

Harry giggled as he realized he was human as he stretched, still lounging in Severus’ bed.

He growled softly when he was suddenly a kitten again.

Severus found Harry sitting in the middle of his bed with his legs and arms crossed looking like someone had denied him his favourite dessert. His tails tumped against the bed in agitation and his ears were pinned back. Severus could hear a low growl coming from him, before he became a kitten again

‘Harry-Kit, what’s wrong?’ he asked, trying to sooth the irritated kitten.

 _‘Since you’ve been in the bleeding shower I’ve transformed three-_

‘Four times!’ he blurted as he became a human again.

‘Oh, well, that’s supposed to be good, right? Means that whatever is in your system is almost out.’ Severus gently massaged Harry-Kit’s thigh.

‘Doesn’t mean I have to like it,’ he grumbled.

Severus chuckled softly as he leaned to kiss Harry's head, ‘no, no one said you had to like it,’ he agreed. ‘So are you staying here for the day then?’

Harry’s anger turned to fear, ‘are you kidding? There is no way I am going out there, like this,’ he replied, before he was a kitten again.

All of a sudden he got a whiff of something new, something funny, not funny ha, ha but funny new.

He took another sniff and his gaze went to Severus’ head. Harry-Kit blinked before looking at Severus again. He had to rub at his eyes, just in case, you know, he’d gotten a new set of malfunctioning eyes overnight.

 _‘Did you use a new shampoo, Sev?’_ he asked, since the smell seemed to come from his hair. In a flash, Harry was human again, and as he took a look at Severus he couldn’t help but burst into hysterical laughter.

Severus’ hair was purple; violet and bright and a little sparkly but it was purple and it smelled like grape soda. Actually it was Harry’s favourite colour, and it looked sort of pretty. However Harry couldn’t say anything because he was too busy laughing.

He stopped for a moment when Severus growled at him, but then he remembered that Fred and George had given Snape the shampoo. It had been meant for Harry as a pick me up because of the whole can’t stay human thing. Merlin Harry hoped that there was some left!

Severus simply scowled at the lunatic that was on his bed, before going into the bathroom. He distinctly remembered Harry-Kit mentioning shampoo.

How in the name of Merlin’s left testicle had he missed _that!_

He was so angry he couldn’t even think.

He stormed past a slightly calmer Harry and slammed the door into the wall so hard that the door handle was imbedded into the wall. Harry suspected that magic might have been involved.

After a moment he rushed to the fireplace and tossed in a handful of powder and prayed to the deity of randomly changing people that he stayed human long enough to warn the twins.

=^.^=

‘Harry,’ George greeted the head in the fire.

‘Mate,’ Fred offered from the couch.

‘Brother,’ they said together.

‘What can we do for you on this fine morning?’ George asked, shifting to make room for Fred.

‘Are you alright? What’s wrong?’ Fred asked in concern as he noted the panicked look in Harry-Kit’s eyes.

‘It’s Sev, he used the shampoo. He didn’t mean to but it looked like his regular shampoo and an elf put it in the bathroom and he used it and he’s so angry,’ he babbled, unable to stop himself.

It took a moment for the twins to realize that Harry was babbling about Snape, their eyes widened n horror.

‘Oh.’

‘Crap.’

‘We’re on our way,’ they said together before they vanished from the flames.

Harry sat back and let out a relieved sigh, and suddenly he was a Kneazle again.

Crookshanks, who’d been napping by the fire gave a soft ‘mreorl’ and Harry-Kit curled up next to him, there really wasn’t anything he could do, other than hope he could move before he turned human again. He really didn’t want to find himself sitting on Crookshanks. And he doubted the giant half Kneazle wanted that either.

=^.^=

As Severus stormed through the castle the few students and teachers that were around practically jumped out of his way, but continued to gawk at him as they noticed the purple hair. No one really knew what to do. Several people hoped that whoever had turned Snape’s hair _purple_ was already in another country, because it would not be pretty when he found out who had done it. Several thought that whoever had done it had a giant set of brass balls, the kind that would clang together when they walked.

To say that Severus had startled Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall when he slammed opened Albus’ office door would have been an understatement. Dumbledore had shot to his feet, wand at the ready, face set in grim determination while McGonagall had spun around one hand on her wand the other having pulled a dagger from her boot. Never let it be said that the wily older witch didn’t know how to fight.

It took a moment for the two to relax, and when they noticed Severus’ hair, Minerva busied herself with putting her dagger back in her boot, hiding her grin from Severus.

Albus, however, laughed outright, ‘you know that shade really does seem to suit you,’ he offered.

Severus could only growl.

‘Yes, well, I can see how you wouldn’t want that particular colour since it doesn’t go well with the persona you wear; however, it is Harry’s favourite colour. I’m sure the Messieurs Weasley didn’t intend for you to use it. Since they did imply that it was a flea shampoo intended for young Harry,’ Albus tried to calm the younger wizard whose anger seemed to be beyond words. ‘Have you tried a glamour spell?’ he offered almost as an afterthought.

Before Snape could do more than glower at Dumbledore, Fred and George burst into the room.

‘Professor Snape, sir, we sincerely apologize for the mix-up, we honestly didn’t mean for you to use the shampoo, it was for our baby brother, we just wanted to lift his spirits a bit, because this whole being turned into a Kneazle can’t be easy for him, though we’re certain being with you has helped him tremendously, we just thought, well, he’s family and we wanted him to know that no matter that irritating little snot-nosed ass-wipe may have said, he still has family with us, with all of us.’ The twins apologized together, alternating and at times talking over the other and together.

Somehow this seemed to calm, knowing that the twins were only trying to help Harry in the only way that they knew how.

He sighed as he raised an eyebrow expectantly.

‘Oh right!’ George handed the bottle in his hand to Snape.

‘This will take out the dye,’

‘All the purple and sparkle,’

‘And leave it feeling silky soft.’

‘Just use it like shampoo,’

‘And you’ll be back to normal.’

Fred and George stepped back, and offered grins of innocence.

Severus nodded once and slid from the room, his cloak billowing behind him, the threat of a painful death if this didn’t work hung over the twin’s heads.

Minerva marvelled after the man. Albus may have the barmy old codger act down, she thought fondly as he tried to pry apart two lemon drops, but Severus could speak volumes with those eyebrows.

The twin’s had clamoured for the floo and were gone before Severus’ cloak was out the door.

Once again, Severus left the students gaping at him in his wake as they pressed against the wall, trying to stay out of his way.

=^.^=

Harry-Kit sneezed adorably, not that anyone but Crookshanks was around to see it, and was a human again, when he sneezed again he wasn’t a human, one more sneeze had him human again. The final sneeze had him still human!

‘I’m a people again!’ he blurted as he hoisted Crookshanks up and spun the unimpressed feline around.

He hugged the beast and snuggled against him, giving the beast a snuggle, if you will, before setting Crookshanks down and flouncing, because there was no other word for it, to the bathroom.

A sniff of the identical bottles told him which was the one he wanted and he took a rather relaxing shower.

Even if he was eager to see the results.

=^.^=

Severus had every intention of going straight back to his rooms and showering again, just wanting to get rid of the sparkle. In truth, he didn’t mind the colour, especially now that it had sunk in _why_ the twins had chosen purple. Harry’s favourite colour, maybe he could glamour it... Could he be any more of a sap?

He was surprised to find his shower occupied when he returned to his rooms but when he couldn’t find Harry he figured the younger man was taking advantage of being human.

He tried very hard to no imagine Harry, naked and wet, wreathing under him... horrified howl coming from the bathroom had Severus rushing in.

It took a moment for him to process what he was seeing but he quickly turned off the water and scooped up the small, purple, drenched kitten that was trying to scramble out of the bath tub, with little success.

 _‘I wasn’t supposed to turn back!’_ Harry-Kit wailed, even as he whimpered pathetically.

As he wrapped Harry-Kit in one of the large, soft towels, Severus never really noticed that Harry-Kit wasn’t as small as he had been.

As much as Harry liked the fluffy towels when he was human, as a cat he didn’t like the way they rubbed his fur, he squirmed to get out of the dark cave of towel he was in.

With a light chuckle, Severus set the Harry-Kit on the bed before settling next to him.

‘You know, I’m pretty sure that purple dye isn’t very good for cats,’ he offered as he tried to smooth out some of Harry’s tussled fur.

Harry gave a feline equivalent of a shrug as he tried to smooth down some of his fur and was suddenly a people again. He couldn’t help himself, he was just so frustrated and angry, and he gave an aborted hiccough-sob and buried himself in Severus shoulder.

As the older wizard mumbled soothing nonsense to the distraught Wizard-Kneazle in his lap, he made a vow he should have made when this whole thing started. He promised that he’d find a way, a potion or a spell or something, to help his Harry-Kit.

‘Feeling better?’ Severus asked when Harry-Kit began to pull away from him.

‘A bit, I guess,’ he replied, wiping away the tears and snot, Severus offered him a handkerchief, before laying him down.

‘Why don’t you stay here,’ he suggested, pulling the blankets up around Harry’s shoulders, ‘and I’ll send the wolves down to wait on you, hand and foot,’ he suggested, brushing Harry's purple hair away from his face. Harry mumbled something and Severus realized that he was asleep already.

‘The purple hair suits you far better than it does me,’ he said softly, brushing an affectionate kiss to Harry’s temple.

Severus headed into the bathroom and cast the glamour on his hair, wanting to leave it so Harry could actually appreciate it.

=^.^=

Severus spent the day half aware of what was going on in his class room. He had still managed to take several points from all of the houses, the students were all disappointed he no longer had purple hair, and had defused several near disasters, as he tried to figure out how he could help Harry, all while cursing himself for his laziness.

It was as he was explaining cleaning solutions to a class of third years when it hit him.

It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

His third years watched in alarm, afraid that their professor had finally gone mad.

Severus’ head thudded dully onto his desk, cushioned only by the thick tome in front of him.

=^.^=

Remus and Lucius found Harry-Kit still asleep, so with an affectionate kiss from Remus, they let him be.

Eventually Harry was brought back to consciousness as he was turned into a Kneazle again.

He lay in Severus’ bed, relishing the feeling of being surrounded by Severus. It took a moment for Harry to realize that he could hear voices.

He had to fight his way out of the blanket before he could hop off the bed. He looked back up the bed; it didn’t seem as high as it had.

‘Harry-Cub,’ Remus greeted the kitten as he slinked into the room. Harry, at seeing who it was, bound over to Remus and was on his lap in moments. ‘You seem bigger, are you getting bigger?’ he asked, trying to measure the feline in his lap.

Harry’s back arched as he felt an odd tingling run up his spine.

Remus and Lucius blinked at him in surprise, ‘huh,’ he blurted.

‘Huh?’ Remus echoed in confusion.

Harry-Kit/Cub nodded, ‘It was weird, before I transformed again, I felt this weird tingly feeling up my back,’ he replied, rubbing the base of his spine, where it became tails.

‘Like you’re own Spidey sense?’ Lucius asked curiously, garnering looks of surprised from both Remus, who’d had a serious Spider-man fan as a neighbour while he was growing up, and Harry, who’d grown up with Dudley, who would only ever read comic books.

‘What? I’ve read American muggle literature?’ Lucius insisted, looking somewhat affronted.

‘I’d hardly call a comic book, literature,’ Harry muttered, he had never been able to get into comics, not that he hadn’t tried but, they just weren’t for him.

‘Actually, it was a graphic novel,’ Lucius replied haughtily.

‘So are you getting bigger?’ Remus asked, turning his attention back to Harry, ‘and why is your hair purple?’

Harry shrugged, ‘I don’t really feel much bigger,’ he replied before he suddenly straightened and shrank down into Kit. Remus scooped him up, he didn’t fit in Remus’ hand like he had before; his legs hung over the sides.

‘I’d say you’re getting bigger,’ Lucius offered, making a grab for one of Harry’s back legs, causing Harry to snap his teeth at the blond. ‘I like the purple, I think it suits you,’ the blonde added, scratching at Harry’s ears.


	19. Chapter 19

Severus rushed from his lab with the phial of an opalescent grey potion, ‘it was so simple and yet, so... so foreign and we’re supposed to be some of the greatest minds of our age and no one could think of it. Not even the great Albus Dumbledore or the wonderful Poppy Pomfrey,’ there was no malice in Severus’ rant, as he set the potion on the table, just an odd sort of fond annoyance. ‘One of the best healers around, and not even Remus Lupin, research gremlin or Lucius Malfoy, comic book reader. No one thought of it, but I did. I thought of it,’ the other three watched in mild amusement as Severus practically flitted about his rooms, ‘I thought of cleaning out Harry’s system, it won’t take long since whatever is in his system is almost gone, if those wretched twins are to be believed, and, oh,’ he had spun around to find three sets of eyes staring at him, ‘look, they’re all staring at me.’ He added faintly as he clutched the towel he had to his chest.

‘Are you alright?’ Lucius asked, watching his friend in concern.

Harry had gotten up and stood next to him, a gentle hand on Severus’ arm.

However, before the young man could say anything he stiffened before sneezing and was suddenly in Kneazle form again.

Severus picked him up. ‘Well, you’ve certainly grown,’ he commented, holding Harry-Kit at eye level. Harry-Kit blinked and struggled to get down, he wanted to see.

 _‘Put me down, I want to see,’_ he demanded, causing Severus to chuckle.

Severus set Harry-Kit down and conjured a mirror for the feline.

Harry-Kit stared at the mirror for a moment before raising a tentative paw to the mirror, he gently prodded it while his twin prodded him.

 _‘Is that me?’_ he practically shrieked, causing Severus to wince. _‘It is me! I’m so cute! I’m purple! Why am I purple?’_ he asked, turning to look up at Severus balefully.

‘Oh for the love of all things magical,’ Severus muttered as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He glared as Remus and Lucius tried very hard not to laugh. They hadn’t heard the conversation but they had been watching Harry-Kit, who was still quite adorable, even if he was twice the size he used to be.

‘Your fur is your hair, you changed your hair, therefore your fur has also changed,’ he replied, banishing the mirror.

 _‘Oh,’_ Harry replied, as he tried to twist around so he could see himself. Though he ended up chasing his tails, but this time he didn’t mind. He was more Kneazle than human and he could admit, if only to himself, that it was kind of fun. If only he had a ball or something....

‘So when you’re human again we will set you up somewhere and you can take the potion,’ Severus began as he sat in one of the chairs, away from the pawing pair, really they were grown men, you’d think they’d be able to keep their hands to themselves for five minutes. ‘It’ll clean out your system of any toxins, so hopefully you won’t be changing randomly.’

Suddenly Harry stopped attacking his own tails and pounced on something.

Severus, Remus and Lucius watched the purple Kneazle as it pounced from speck of dust to speck of dust.

‘Well apparently he’s entertained for the evening,’ Lucius commented with a light chuckle.

Harry-Kit stopped long enough to glare at Lucius before he pounced on the blonde’s sock clad foot, burying sharp claws into it.

Lucius cursed and was about to dislodge Harry when the Kneazle went chasing after something that wasn’t his foot. He rubbed his foot for a moment before watching Harry-Kit as the young Kneazle chased, caught and released the snitch that Remus had unleashed.

It was almost an hour later when Harry-Kit collapsed in front of the fire, the snitch trapped under a heavy paw.

Harry was jerked from his nap as he suddenly became human again. He pulled the thick blanket up and was torn between curling up under it and finding a better place to sleep.

‘Oh good, you’re awake,’ Lucius stated, as he glanced up from the paper he was reading.

‘Are you in the running for the Captain Obvious contest?’ Harry asked, as he rubbed his eyes with a yawn.

Lucius gave a chuckle. ‘You’re looking at the reigning champion for the last eight years running,’ he replied, puffing up with pride.

Harry snorted, ‘is it really something to be proud of?’ he asked, stretching before he wrapped the blanket around himself, so he wouldn’t flash anyone, though he had idly thought of accidently losing it when it was just him and Severus.

Lucius gave him a mild glare, ‘why don’t you go get dressed,’ he said, as someone knocked on the door.

Harry snickered as he disappeared into the bedroom.

Lucius was surprised to find Neville Longbottom at the door.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ he asked, more surprised than anything else.

Neville stared at the blond man with a mix of curiosity and defiance, ‘I’ve come to see Harry,’ he replied, lifting his chin, reminding Lucius of his own son briefly.

‘Let him in you big oaf,’ Harry stated as he tried to wrestle Lucius out of the way of the door to let Neville in.

The two boys stood staring at each other for a moment before Neville pulled the slightly shorter boy into a hug, ‘Merlin, Harry, I’m so glad you’re okay!’

‘I’m glad I’m okay too, but I’m not quite out of the woods yet,’ Harry managed as he tugged Neville into the room and kicking the door closed. ‘Nev, you remember Mr. Malfoy?’ he said as he and Neville pushed passed the surprised blonde.

‘Hello, Mr. Malfoy,’ Neville waved as he was pulled into Harry’s room.

Lucius could only stare at the door as it was slammed shut.

‘Well, all right then,’ he said as he settled into his chair again to read.

=^.^=

‘Why is your hair purple?’ Neville asked as soon as they were alone.

‘Well, the twins wanted to make me feel better since they couldn’t help with the shifting thing so they gave Sev this shampoo that dyes your hair purple,’ he replied playing with his hair.

‘I like it,’ Neville stated as he reached out to touch it. ‘Now, what the hell happened?’

‘Merlin, Nev, I haven’t got a clue in hell. I was out by the pitch and then I woke up to Hermione screeching about whatever the hell she was shrieking about and then Snape was healing me and he’s been so gentle with me as a Kneazle and he’s done so much to help,’ Harry’s babble was cut off as Neville started to chuckle.

‘Oh, you’ve got it bad, mate,’ he stated.

Harry’s mouth snapped shut and he stared at Neville but then a rather sly, if contented grin spread across his face. ‘Yeah, I think I do,’ he said, and he found that he didn’t mind, hell he’d been flirting with the older man since he had become human.

The pair then began chatting about what had been happening, mostly Neville filled Harry in on what had gone on between himself and Luna, and Seamus and Ginny, and Draco and Hermione.

Harry groaned at the mention of her name but Neville patted his arm and offered to stick around for when he and Hermione finally had their talk.

The pair fell into an easy chat about school and homework and whatever else they wanted to talk about.

=^.^=

Severus appeared in his rooms about an hour after Neville showed up, he glanced clearly around. ‘Where’s Harry?’ he asked not seeing the Kneazle or the teenager anywhere.

‘He has a visitor, they’ve been locked in his room for an hour,’ Lucius replied, not looking up from the graphic novel he was reading.

Severus stamped down the jealous that didn’t flare before he knocked on the door, just as Neville pulled open the door. So Severus didn’t actually knock on the door so much as Neville’s forehead.

‘Uhm, Harry sneezed and became a Kneazle, though he’s a little bigger than I remember him being,’ Neville brushed off the knocking as he waved behind him, pointing to the cat that was sitting on the bed that was about as big as a fully grown house cat. One of the chubby ones with the long fur.

Severus raised an eyebrow, ‘I was going to suggest we do the potion now but seeing as you’ve gone feline again,’ he trailed off as Harry-Kit gracefully leaped from the bed to twine around Severus’ legs, leaving purple fur on his black pants.

Severus growled at the beast.

‘I’ll just go, I think I have homework to do or a detention to get or something,’ Neville stated, as he headed to the front door, where Remus was waiting.

‘Come back tomorrow after lunch, the shifting should be done by then,’ the werewolf stated.

‘Thank you,’ Neville replied with a nod. ‘congratulations on the mating, sir,’ he said as he passed him.

=^.^=

Lucius and Severus were halfway through a game of gobstones when Harry shifted again.

‘Can we do this now? I’d like to stay a people when I sneeze,’ Harry grouched as he pulled on a pair of sleep pants under his blanket.

Severus chuckled but stood, ‘Of course, my Harry-Kit,’ he replied, pulling the other to his feet.

Harry seemed to brighten at the term, he gave the older man a slight smile. Remus and Lucius exchanged a bemused look, but didn’t say anything, though Remus took over for Severus.

‘It would probably be best for you to sleep on towels since you’ll be sweating profusely during the night,’ Severus started as he waved to the already made bed.

Suddenly Severus was attacked by the man-cat, and his arms went around the younger man automatically.

‘You won’t leave, will you?’ came the small voice from his chest, and suddenly Severus realised how frightening this probably was for Harry.

Severus gently pushed him away, but only far enough so he could look into Harry’s eyes. ‘Wild horses couldn’t pull me away,’ he replied, and Harry stood a little taller and, with a flick of his tongue across his lips, he met Severus’ in a soft kiss. Harry moaned and Severus took the chance to deepen it, mapping out Harry’s mouth and savouring his taste.

Harry pulled away panting.

‘You have nothing to be scared about,’ Severus said softly, as he brushed hair out of his Harry-Kit’s eyes.

‘Only because you’re here,’ Harry mumbled, giving the older man a soft peck before climbing into bed.

‘You’ll be asleep for most of the night, I’ve added a sleeping draught to this so you won’t have to worry about waking up, and there won’t be any pain,’ he said as he handed Harry the potion.

With a weary glance at Severus, Harry downed the potion. Severus took the empty phial from him and set it on the table. Taking a cloth and a book, Severus settled beside Harry, absently running his hand through his hair as he alternated between reading and wiping Harry down.

After a while he put the book down and just watched Harry sleep.

Several hours later Remus appeared in the doorway and watched Severus, who was fighting to stay awake. Remus gently took the cloth from Severus, who startled awake briefly.

‘Get some sleep,’ he commanded softly. And Severus, who was already slouching down, slid to lie on his back and Harry curled up next to him. Most of whatever that had been in Harry’s system seemed to be out already because he didn’t seem to be sweating as much, but Remus would wipe him dry every now and again, if only for comfort.

=^.^=

Ron had heard several rumours about Harry over the last few days.

Harry had been blinded by something unknown. That his voice box had been too badly damaged and he’d never talk again. That he was deaf thanks so those daft muggles he’d had to live with, or any combination of the three or all three. Ron shuddered, he couldn’t imagine being in silent darkness for the rest of his life.

He’d also heard that Harry had been deformed in some way. He’d lost a limb or couldn’t use his legs or an arm or something.

He was part fish.

He’d been turned into a centaur.

A vampire.

He was forever stuck in the form of a panther and was Malfoy’s familiar.

He was a flamingo in Snape’s classroom.

He’s been turned into a dragon and had chosen Snape as his mate.

He was a snidget.

Ron didn’t know what to believe, so he decided to investigate for himself.

He decided it was a bad idea when he let out the unmanliest of unmanly shrieks when he was attacked by a giant purple and slightly pinkish lion.

He was too busy begging it not to eat him to realize that it wasn’t actually a lion.

‘Honestly Harry, I don’t think he would taste very good,’ Albus stated in amusement as he watched the fully grown Kneazle that was sitting on Ron’s chest, snarl at Ron.

‘Oh, my goodness,’ McGonagall blurted though it sounded fake to Harry’s ears.

 ‘Honestly Potter, he isn’t worth it,’ Severus stated in a half bored, half exasperated sigh. ‘Besides he’ll probably get stuck in your teeth.’

The Kneazle on Ron’s chest snapped at him one last time before he stood, and headed back to Severus, though he paused to unleash a stream of urine onto the trembling figure.

‘I wasn’t going to eat him,’ Harry-Kit pouted, he had continued on and shifted as he walked. He leaned against Severus, who began to massage Harry’s neck, the younger man began to purr softly.

Ron, however, had sprung to his feet, completely unaware of the fact that he’d just been peed on, pointed to Harry and all but yelled, ‘I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!’

‘Did you have to urinate on him?’ McGonagall asked as she waved her wand at the still ranting Ron.

‘It could’ve been worse,’ Harry stated with a shrug.

The older witch simply sighed before grabbing Ron by the ear and pulled him towards her office.

‘Go on,’ Severus gave Harry a gentle push. Before he rushed off after the pair he gave Severus a soft kiss.

‘Why did you do it?’ he demanded, grabbing the redhead’s arm.

Ron stares at Harry, taking in his former best friend’s appearance. Cat ears on top of his head with tufts of fur, two long tails that curl around his legs. A fierce glint in his eyes that Ron had never seen before, but knew it meant Harry would probably never think of the redhead as a friend again.

He sputtered for a moment before he could finally figure out what he wanted to say, ‘you’ve gotten everything handed to you.’ As he watched Harry’s eyes go from the clear, if slightly golden emerald green, to a green so dark it looked black, he knew he'd said the absolute worst thing. And that he’d been wrong about everything.

‘I’m sorry, I was jealous of you and I know I shouldn’t have and I just, I don’t... I’m sorry,’ he mumbled again, unable to look at Harry in the eye.

‘Ronald Bilius Weasley!’ he flinched as he watched his parent’s storm towards him.

Harry watched him with sad eyes, and the still purple haired cat-man shook his head before he turned and walked away.

Ron let his mother take him by the ear and drag him home as she yelled at him.

He knew he would never have Harry as a friend again, and because of that he knows now that what he did was far worse than what had happened to Jeremy.

He had no one to blame but himself.


	20. Chapter 20

Harry sat in an unused corridor on the fourth floor in one of the few window seats, watching the rain and students as they rushed to the greenhouses or the barn that had been erected for the Care of Magical Creatures’ class.

He had one tail wrapped around his feet while the other swayed idly; he was pretending to do his missed assignments. He had one per class, since he seemed to be reasonably caught up in them.

Severus was teaching a fourth year Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class; it seemed that Harry’s year wasn’t the only year that Dumbledore like to torture.

He gave a sigh as his mind went back to the sort confrontation he’d had with Hermione after Ron had been dragged away by his mother.

 **=^.^=**

‘Harry!’ he turned to the voice, not really wanting to talk to the owner, but knowing it would be better to get is over with sooner, rather than later.

‘Oh, Merlin, I am so sorry,’ Hermione cried as she ploughed into him, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest as she tried to apologize.

Harry’s arms automatically came up to return the hug, causing her to sob harder, if that was at all possible.

He didn’t know what to say.

It took him a moment to figure out that Hermione was trying to talk to him, but not even his feline ears could decipher what it was she was trying to say.

Finally, she pulled herself away from Harry even as he pushed her away gently, she pulled a tissue from her robes and tried to clean them both up. Harry waved her off and ran a hand over his robes as he muttered a spell. Hermione always seemed to forget about the magic stuff when she was distraught or over emotional.

‘Oh, Harry, I am so sorry!’ she began again, ‘I shouldn’t have said and did the things I did. I should’ve followed you and not let Ron tell me anything or let him think for me. I was stupid to change for a boy when I didn’t need to, I’m sorry,’ she finished her rant and stared at Harry with wide, hope-filled, tear eyes.

Harry had thought that he had wanted to forgive and forget with Hermione, but watching her right this moment, he found that he didn’t think he could, not after everything she’d done to him, said to him, hadn’t done for him.

She had been like a sister to Harry, more than any of the Weasley’s had been brothers to him, and then she’d started dating Ron and they’d changed. More so Hermione than Ron but the changes had been so obvious. They’d started to leave him out of things and got angry with him for the littlest of things.

Their playful banter had turned to hurtful slander.

Harry had distanced himself from them, spending more time with Neville and Seamus, who had lost his best friend when Dean had been pulled from the school the year before because of the fighting.

He sighed, he could see the hurt and the regret in her eyes but he had been hurt too and so he stepped away from Hermione, letting go of her. ‘I’m sorry too,’ he said softly, before he turned and headed down to the dungeons.

Hermione watched Harry walk away, crying quietly, already mourning the loss of the best friend she’d ever had.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned to bury herself in Draco’s soft robes.

She hated Ron for turning her against Harry, when she should have known better.

She hated her classmates for not making her see her own stupidity.

Mostly, though, she hated herself, for letting Ron get to her the way he had. For not seeing her own stupidity for what it was.

She sobbed into Draco, letting him comfort her as best he could.

Draco sighed as he watched the pair. He didn’t blame Harry for walking away, for not forgiving Hermione. If someone had done to him what she’d done to Harry, he didn’t think he could forgive easily either.

He didn’t know what Harry would say to him. He and Harry had never been friends, in any sense of the word, but he was still worried that Harry wouldn’t ever want to speak to him. He knew they were practically brothers but that didn’t stop the worry from getting to Draco. He hoped, if nothing else, maybe he and Harry could start again.

The whole thing was so messed up.

He sighed and gave Hermione, what he hoped was, a reassuring squeeze.

 **=^.^=**

Harry stood and stretched, feeling several something’s in his back pop. He didn’t know if he would ever forgive Hermione; she had belittled him, scorned him at every turn and then had kicked him and essentially tried to kill him.

He thought he might forgive her, one day in the future, when they weren’t students anymore and they had their own lives, when the hurt of betrayal had faded some, but not now.

He mentally went through his list of people he had to talk to.

Ron. Yep, he was glad he’d gotten that out of the way fairly quickly.

Hermione. Yep. It hadn’t been much of a conversation but she had had her say and he had said his.

Neville. Check. He had to smile when he remembered his talk with the other boy. Neville was one of the few that had never wavered in his devotion to Harry no matter what anyone, the newspapers or the other students had said about Harry and for that Harry would be eternally grateful.

He had talked with Lucius, Severus and Remus while he’d been going through this catastrophe, he snorted at his own bad humour, so he wasn’t too worried about them.

Seamus, Ginny and Luna had talked to Harry through Neville and he had their unwavering support as well.

The only person Harry really had left to talk to was Draco.

He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation at all.

 **=^.^=**

Against Harry’s better judgement, he found himself back in his classes the next day.

‘Look at those ears.’

‘Does he have regular ears?’

‘He’s so freaky looking!’

‘Why does he have 2 tails?’

‘He’s so cute!’

‘He just wants more attention.’

By lunch time Harry was growling at people and by dinner, as he sat between Neville and Ginny, Harry had to suppress his desire to throttle/maim/hex the next person who called him a freak/too-adorable-for-words/attention seeker.

He had already tossed a few mild hexes at the Ravenclaws, who all seemed to be staring at him like he was something they wanted to slid under a microscope and dissect.

He glanced up at head table and caught Severus’ eye. When the man tilted his head and his lip twitched, Harry was brimming with joy.

Before Harry could say anything to anyone, Donnelly, the Defence professor fell from the ceiling.

‘No one’s ever done that before,’ Albus commented as he and the rest of staff and students watched as Donnelly stood and straightened himself.

‘That is IT! I’ve had it with this cockamamie school and it’s possessed and deranged students and teachers,’ he spun pointing a finger at Albus, whose eyes widen in surprised innocence, ‘you can find yourself a new defence professor. I quit!’ he announced before he spun on his heel and stormed from the Great Hall, giving all its occupants a perfect view of his bare behind.

Several students and professors began to snicker at the former Defence professor before he made it out of the hall. His glare, as he spun around oblivious to his predicament, had them all muffling their giggles.

The silence around the hall was broken when someone, Harry’s, giggle stole through the room and soon enough everyone was laughing at the professor.

He had been as incompetent as Lockhart and the students were glad to see him gone.

Albus stood, a few minutes later, as the laughter died down. ‘I would like to take this opportunity to announce that Remus Lupin and Lucius Malfoy will be taking over the roll as Defence Against the Dark Arts professors,’ he announced, waving his hand at the pair that were sitting on the other side of Severus.

All three men gaped at him, while several of the students clapped enthusiastically for Remus.

‘Well, that was unexpected,’ Lucius announced as he leaned back in his chair, his arm draped across the back of Remus’ chair.

‘Oh,’ Albus was half-way to his chair when he stood up again. ‘Due to Harry’s position as Professor Snape’s familiar, he will be spending the rest of his schooling in Professor Snape’s rooms.’

Harry’s grin nearly split his face in half and his tails fairly danced behind him, occasionally batting Neville or Seamus.

‘Good night,’ Albus offered as he sat down so he could finish his dessert, a lemon meringue pie that the elves made just for him.

 **=^.^=**

Harry had settled in front of the fire to finish off his essays. Severus was trying to work on the article he wanted to submit for the next potions journal and Remus and Lucius were arguing over the lesson plans.

‘Why don’t you do it your way and I’ll do it mine and we’ll see who gets the better results,’ Remus stated rather coldly as he stood and gathered his things before storming out of Severus’ rooms.

Severus and Harry glared at Lucius who was staring at the door in stunned silence. Both wondering what was wrong, since neither one of them had seen or heard them argue over anything more than the colour of their robes.

‘All I said was that a monkey could make better lesson plans than these,’ Lucius said after a moment.

Severus calmly rolled up some parchment and started to beat Lucius over the head with it.

‘Ow! Ow! Ow! What? What? What!?’ he asked as he tried to shield himself from Severus’ assault.

‘You’re an even bigger dunderhead then the ones I have to teach,’ he stated with a scowl. He had gotten to know Remus much better over the last little while and he found he liked the quiet man a great deal.

‘Those are Remus’ lesson plans from when he taught us,’ Harry stated. He had gotten up to see what the plans were and recognized them from the brief time he’d had with the werewolf as a teacher.

‘Oh,’ Lucius replied, as he turned pink, even the tips of his ears.

‘I think this merits more than an “oh”,’ Severus stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lucius began to gather up his things, including the lesson plan, and headed for the door, ‘I’ll just be on my way, good night gentlemen,’ he said as the door closed behind him.

‘I know he’s your friend and all,’ Harry began, leaning against Severus who wrapped his arm around Harry-Kit’s waist.

‘But he’s an idiot,’ Severus finished, tugging the younger man onto his lap.

‘Yeah,’ Harry agreed with a chuckle.

‘Oh, uh, sorry,’ a voice said from the open door, ‘I’ll come back later.’

‘Draco,’ Severus called the blonde back, ‘you know you’re always welcome here,’ he added waving his godson into the room.

‘You’re door was open,’ Draco stated as he pointed to it, nervously.

‘That’s because you’re father is an idiot,’ Severus stated, still holding onto Harry-Kit, who squirmed uncomfortably.

‘What did he do now?’ Draco asked, moving a little closer to the pair.

‘He insulted Remus’ work, and Remus was understandably upset. They were going over Donnelly’s lesson plan which had been the lesson plan from the professor the year before, who had gotten from the professor before that, who had in turn gotten it from the professor before that, who was,’

‘Remus,’ Draco finished with an exasperated sigh as Harry was still trying to figure out the math. ‘When is that man ever going to learn?’ he asked rhetorically. ‘Which is why he’s out in the hall, begging with Remus,’ he finished.

‘That would be why,’ Severus agreed.

‘I’ll just go, get out of your way,’ Harry said softly, finally freeing himself from Severus’ clutches.

‘No, I’m sorry, stay, please,’ Draco blurted as he blocked Harry’s way, ‘you’re why I came today.’ He added hastily.

Harry blinked but regarded Draco with uncertainty as he tried several times to say something, but nothing seemed to want to come out.

‘Fuck it,’ he mumbled to himself, he stuck his hand out to Harry. ‘I’m Draco Malfoy, it’s nice to meet you,’ he said with a surprisingly friendly smile.

Harry raised an eyebrow, unconsciously mimicking the man behind him, and studied the blonde in front of him. He finally, much to Draco’s relief, accepted the hand, ‘Harry Potter,’ he replied, ‘you’re not related to the crazy man in the hall way, are you?’ he asked.

Severus laugh became a cough.

‘What?’

‘Please Remi! I’ll do anything you want for a week! I’ll rim your ass for two weeks, please!’ they heard him shout in desperation. Draco had left the door open as well; there wasn’t much traffic in this part of the dungeons so Severus wasn’t really worried.

‘Oh, him, no, I have no idea who he is,’ Draco replied with a straight face.

‘Professor Malfoy, there are young children about!’ they heard McGonagall admonish out in the hall.

‘What does “rim your ass” mean?’ they heard a young student ask.

‘So I hear you’re good at Transfiguration,’ Draco stated, choosing to ignore what was happening in the hall, Harry nodded. ‘Could you, maybe, explain it to me, in plain English?’ he asked, his ears turning pink.

‘Sure, meet me in the library after class tomorrow,’ Harry replied easily.

Draco nodded, ‘thanks, I should get back to the dorms,’ he explained. ‘Good night Harry, Uncle Sev.’

‘Good night, Draco,’ they chorused as the blond headed out to the Slytherin dorms.

When the pair was finally alone, Severus tugged Harry onto his lap again, loving the feeling of Harry’s weight on his legs and the heat that the younger man practically radiated.

‘I know I had promised to wait until you graduated before we take this relationship any farther, but I find myself greedy and selfish. I need to be with you, to be a part of you as soon as you’ll have me.’

Harry could only stare at Severus in hopeful confusion.


	21. Chapter 21

‘I don’t remember you ever making a promise like that,’ Harry offered, pressing himself against Severus, hoping he didn’t sound as desperate as he thought he did.

‘It must have been in my head then,’ Severus replied with an air of put upon thoughtfulness.

‘Must have been,’ Harry agreed, shifting so he could straddle Severus’ lap.

‘So what do you say to an early night,’ he asked, nuzzling Severus’ throat, causing him to moan.

It took all of Severus’ strength to push Harry-Kit away.

‘However, we will take it slow and I will not rush you. If you do not want to do something, I will not push you into doing so, you only have to say so.’

‘But Sev,’ even Harry winced at the whine in his voice. He took a breath and tried again, ‘but Sev, please. I want you, all of you. I can’t wait to feel you stretch me. I want to feel that burn, it’ll be so much better than the toys,’ he finished with a smirk and a blush.

Severus raised an eyebrow, ‘toys?’

Harry-Kit gave an unrepentant grin as he nodded, ‘toys,’ he repeated before he launched an assault on Severus jaw and throat.

Severus stood, gripping Harry’s arse and causing Harry to tighten his hold on Severus and wrap his legs abound the taller man’s waist.

They made it to the bedroom with little trouble and Severus dropped Harry on to the bed.

Harry-Kit bounced and scrambled away from the edge, watching Severus as he slowly undid his charcoal grey oxford shirt.

Harry loved the fact that when they were alone, Severus often shed his heavy teaching robes, leaving the older man in an oxford shirt (usually black) and black trousers with bare feet.

Severus left the shirt on, but opened and stepped from his trousers and shoes, leaving it all in a pile on the floor.

He kneeled on the bed and gently pulled off Harry’s lounge pants that he preferred when he was in Snape’s rooms.

Severus tossed the pants to the floor blindly as he crawled up the bed to cover Harry.

‘Sev, please,’ Harry-Kit, pleaded softly. He had no idea what he wanted but he knew he needed Severus to do something. Anything!

‘Patience, my Kit,’ he said softly, as he peppered kisses over Harry’s face and neck.

Harry keened and grasped at Severus’ shirt, tilting his head back to give Severus’ more room.

Electricity shot through Harry-Kit as the older man brushed his cloth covered erection against Harry’s and the half-Kneazle’s tails wrapped around Severus’ waist along with his legs bringing their erections together.

‘Please,’ Harry whimpered, trying to get to whatever skin he could get to.

Severus reached up and gently massaged one of Harry’s ears, ‘hush, Kit,’ he murmured softly and Harry-Kit began to purr. The sound went right to Severus’ cock.

‘Let me do this my way,’ Severus requested, ‘all you need to do is lie back and feel,’ he instructed. ‘Feel my hands on your beautiful body, feel my mouth on your delicious skin,’ he licked and nipped at Harry’s shoulder. ‘Just... feel,’ he finished as his hands roamed Harry’s soft flesh and his lips, tongue, mouth suckled on Harry’s nipples.

The first time Harry thought he would reach his climax, Severus gave his sac a sharp tug to stave off his orgasm, Harry thought he was going to explode... or implode... or kill Severus... or something.

‘Please, Sev. I need to cum,’ he pleaded/sobbed after the older man denied him that pleasure for the fourth time.

Severus, the bastard, chuckled! Then he swallowed Harry-Kit whole and the poor sod didn’t know what hit him as he arched off the bed before emptying himself into Severus’ mouth. Harry collapsed, shaking with the tremors that still shot through his ravaged body. He moaned when Severus pulled his fingers from Harry’s hole.

When had _that_ happened?

 Harry wanted to see more of Severus despite the fact that the man was now only wearing the oxford shirt.

‘Leave it,’ Severus commanded, assaulting Harry-Kits mouth.

‘But Sev,’ Harry-Kit tugged at the shirt, wanting to get it off the man. ‘I want to see all of you.’

‘You are, and you have,’ Severus stated as he kissed his way along Harry’s jaw to his neck.

Harry suddenly realised what it was that Severus didn’t want Harry to see. He grabbed Severus’ left arm and pulled it to him, causing Severus to almost topple over, and he pushed up the sleeve to reveal the faded mark of a mad man. Before Severus could react, Harry licked his forearm where the dark mark was in one broad stroke of his tongue.

‘I don’t care about this, you got it but you’ve also atoned for it. You’re a good man Severus Snape, and you made one mistake because you were hurt and angry but you’ve more than made up for it,’ Harry stated heatedly, his fingers idly tracing the skull and snake.

Severus stared down into the young man’ under him for a long minute before he leaned down and tenderly kissed him again. He pulled away and leaned back, pulling off the shirt.

Harry grinned, ‘I love you,’ he said happily, his hands touching whatever part of Severus he could reach: chest, back, arms, forearms, anything.

Severus finally positioned himself at Harry’s entrance and dived in for another kiss as he pushed into Harry.

Harry cried out in surprise before pushing back onto the invading member. It was so different from a toy; he knew it would be but it was still a surprisingly welcomed shock got Harry.

‘Are you okay?’ Severus asked; he was poised to push more of himself into Harry’s channel, however he was also ready to pull out in case it was too much for his Harry-Kit.

‘It burns so good,’ Harry managed, and it did; that slow burning stretch and the heat that radiated off Severus cock. ‘So good,’ he repeated clutching at Severus with everything he could, his internal muscles his hands and legs.

Harry groaned as Severus pushed into him, filling him. Completing him.

‘You feel so good,’ Harry panted as he rhythmically clinched his muscles around Severus, effectively massaging the older man’s erection.

Severus didn’t move, afraid he would be finished before he even really started.

They lay tangled and panting for several moments, or rather Severus did. Harry was wriggling about, trying to get Severus to move already.

Severus, however, wouldn’t be rushed. He growled as he thrust into Harry and managed to brush against his prostate.

Harry cried out wordlessly as stars blossomed behind his eyes.

Severus gave a few experimental thrusts before he found a rhythm and all too soon Harry cried out half formed words as he coated their chests and stomachs. Severus followed right after, Harry’s channel clinching around him, milking his orgasm from him. Severus continued to thrust into Harry as they rode out their orgasms.

Too soon, Severus pulled free of Harry, who moaned at the loss, but let Severus manoeuvre him around so that the older man could spoon behind the younger man.

Severus waved away the mess as they lay together, neither one noticed the soft glow around them.

‘Love you,’ Harry muttered as he quickly drifted off to sleep.

‘And I you,’ Severus replied softly, kissing Harry-Kit’s temple.

 **=^.^=**

Severus hadn`t ever been woken in such a pleasant manner before.

His hand went to the nest of black hair that was at his crotch and he moaned as Harry began to purr around the length in his mouth, sending vibrations up Severus’ spine and through his whole body.

Harry pulled off of Severus’ cock with a soft pop before he pulled each of Severus’ lightly furred sacs into his mouth and then he licked down, giving his perineum a broad lick. He then moved further down and gave a tentative lick to Severus’ hole.

‘Oh Merlin,’ Severus’ hips bucked and he pulled his legs back to his chest to give Harry more room.

Harry-Kit grinned as the older man moaned and began to plead with half-formed words.

Harry liked and nipped at Severus’ entrance before he slid one finger into the older man.

‘Is that okay?’ he asked in concern despite the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he wiggled the finger.

‘Brat,’ Severus didn’t whimper, it was a very manly whine.

‘What about this?’ Harry asked sliding in a second finger.

‘GAH!’ Severus managed, ‘just shove your cock in already!’ Severus demanded. The older man didn’t normally enjoy bottoming, but he knew that his brat had never gone beyond toys, so he’d never had the experience of being in someone before.

Harry stared at Severus with wide eyes, ‘Really?’ he asked, his three fingers still moving in Severus.

‘Before I change my mind, you irritating imp,’ the older man blurted in frustration.

Harry pulled his fingers from Severus’ arse and wiped them on the sheets. He moved up to lean over Snape, positioning himself at Severus’ entrance.

As Harry pushed into Severus, the older man pulled him down for a kiss.

Severus’ moaned into it; he’d forgotten what it was like to be taken.

While he preferred to be the one doing the taking, he figured he could let Harry take him, not often, but for special occasions, like the brat’s birthday or an anniversary.

Harry came first, lasting for only a few thrusts, coating Severus’ walls even as he continued to thrust in to the older man.

Severus almost jumped out of his skin as he felt something soft and furry brush against his erection.

The imp was using his tail!

Harry wrapped one of his tails around Severus leaking erection while the other one played across Severus’ chest.

Suddenly Severus exploded over both of them as the free tail brushed his nipples.

Harry-Kit finally collapsed onto Severus, his cum covered tails limp beside them.

Severus let his legs fall to the bed as Harry reluctantly pulled himself from his older lover.

Neither one noticed the faint silver and golden glow that surrounded the pair briefly, cementing their bond together.

‘We should shower,’ Severus suggest, though he made no move to get to the bathroom.

Harry made a humming noise before he stretched up to kiss Severus affectionately.

‘Thank you,’ he said with a soft smile.

‘You’re welcome,’ Severus replied automatically. ‘What are you thanking me for?’

‘For letting me top; I much prefer to have you inside me but it’s nice to know what it’s like to be inside you, and that you won’t object to letting me take you every now and again,’ Harry replied, snuggling into his older lover’s side.

‘Yes, well,’ Severus blushed, there had been something about being taken by a much younger man that he had enjoyed, ‘relish it, because your next opportunity won’t be till Christmas.’

Harry gave a loud, joyous laugh. ‘That’s just fine,’ he replied with a grin as he could continued to chuckle, ‘I like having you inside me best, anyway,’ he offered with a kiss.

Severus moaned, ‘As it should be,’ he managed as he pulled the man-cat from the bed and carried him to the shower.

 **=^.^=**

Lucius watched as Remus angrily stormed about the room, slamming things onto tabletops and grumbling to himself.

‘I had no idea,’ he offered from his spot in the doorway. He didn’t move for fear of possible projectiles.

Remus glared at Lucius before he sat with his back to the blonde.

Lucius took a tentative step into the room, ‘I went over the plans,’ he began. He stopped moving when he heard a soft growl coming from Remus.

‘I just wanted to say that I don’t think a monkey could have done these,’ he said softly, almost sadly. ‘I believe that these are the work of a very intelligent wolf,’ he finished, a touch bit hopeful.

Remus sighed and turned to the blonde, ‘I may have over reacted a little,’ he offered his own apology as he slumped against the desk behind him.

Lucius quickly closed the distance between them and pulled Remus into his arms, ‘I should have asked before I shoved my foot into my mouth,’ he countered.

‘You do have a peculiar oral fixation,’ Remus said, with a small smirk.

Lucius ran his hands down Remus’ back and one hand made its way into his trousers, giving Remus’ arse a squeeze before the fingers ghosted over his entrance. Remus bucked in surprise, pressing his rapidly hardening erection against Lucius’.

‘I’ve never heard you complain about it,’ he smirked as he pushed Remus back onto the desk and quickly stripped the other man of his pants.

‘Hold these,’ he commented offhandedly as he pressed Remus’ knees to his chest, Remus obey before his brain could really process what was going on.

Lucius had him bent practically in half. There was a sweeping tingle and then Lucius had his tongue buried in Remus’ arse.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Lucius had one arm wrapped around Remus’ waist and the other pulling at his cock, Remus would have ended up on the floor.

Lucius chuckled and the vibrations shot through Remus who exploded over himself. Lucius continued his ministrations to Remus’ arse as his rode out his orgasm.

They sat panting for a few minutes, Lucius having found his own release in pleasing Remus.

‘I’m still mad at you,’ Remus said from his spot, sprawled across his desk.

Lucius gave a put upon sigh, ‘well, I tried,’ he said as he pulled himself up.

‘You can continue trying for another two weeks,’ Remus offered, letting Lucius pull him to his feet.

Lucius simply laughed as he pulled Remus to the shower.

 **=^.^=**

Later that night, Severus sat in his office grading essays.

He was startled from his work as Harry bound into the room.

‘Can we go?’ Harry-Kit blurted as he pulled Severus to his feet.

For an eighteen year old, the teenager could be fairly child- like in his exuberance. Though Severus couldn’t really fault the young man, knowing how the young man had grown up.

‘Where are we going?’ Severus asked, putting up a token fight as he was pulled from his office. ‘I have marking to d,’ he announced feebly.

Remus and Lucius seemed to have made up, judging from the way that Remus was leaning against the blonde, babbling about something.

All Severus could make out was “wolf’s bane”.

He groaned in frustration; he’d forgotten to make it. He’d been so worried about Harry that he’d lost track of the moon and had forgotten to make it.

He started to apologize but Remus waved him off.

‘It’s fine, Severus, we don’t it anymore now that we’ve mated,’ Remus grinned as Lucius squeezed his arse.

Of course! Severus mentally smacked himself. Mated pairs of werewolves were basically a pair of giant puppy dogs on the full moon. There was something about having their mate that grounded them.

‘What’s this all about?’ he asked as they all headed to the stairs and out of the castle.

‘It’s the full moon!’ Harry announced, practically bouncing.

‘So I’ve surmised,’ Severus stated dryly, Harry simply ignored him.

‘It’s raining,’ Remus announced, ignoring Severus.

Severus was sure, had the two been teenage girls they would be jumping and clapping- oh never mind, they were.

Suddenly Harry-Kit grabbed Remus’ hand and the pair bolted from the castle, laughing like the crazy loons that they were.

Severus sighed which caused Lucius to chuckle softly.

‘Let them play,’ the blonde said as he and Severus watched the pair out in the rain.

Either Harry wasn’t as big of a Kneazle-Lion that Severus thought or Remus was a big wolf.

The auburn wolf was on its front paws, his arse in the air as the white and black Kneazle-Lion was getting ready to... pounce!

The pair rolled in the mud and rain, tails flailing energetically.

‘Come on, Severus, you need to loosen up a little,’ Lucius commanded with a grin before he took off running. He was a large blonde wolf in about four steps. He joined the pair in the rain, growling playfully.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes before he casually walked out into the rain, smoothly becoming a panther as he walked to the group.

He was suddenly attacked by a white and black Kneazle-lion who licked him.

 **=^.^=**

From one of the towers Hermione watched the quartet as they played in the rain.

‘Why didn’t you tell him you were drugged? He might be more ready to forgive you,’ Draco said softly, pulling her into his arms.

Hermione shrugged, but leaned back into the blonde, ‘in the beginning I was drugged, but, in the end, when I kicked him, that was who I’d become.’

‘What made you change?’

‘I realized I was someone I didn’t want to be,’ she replied sadly.

He tightened his hold on her, ‘do you hope he’ll forgive you one day?’

She shrugged again, ‘I think I’d rather try to start over with him than pick up where we were. He saved me from a troll, I think I want to try without the life threatening situations this time.’

Draco kissed her neck; that sounded like a good plan.

The pair stood in the window and watched as the panther batted at the Kneazle-Lion who was trying to play. The two wolves were curled in on each other.

‘They look happy,’ she said softly. Draco hummed in agreement.

They did, they looked content, and Draco had never seen his father, who had rolled onto his side letting Remus lie on him, look so content. He vowed to master his transformation by the next full moon.

 **=^.^=**

Harry purred softly as Severus ran his hand through Harry’s hair.

Severus was reading out loud from a book. Harry had no idea what book it was, he was just letting Severus’ voice roll through him.

‘I love you,’ he said suddenly, sounding sleepy.

Severus stopped reading and looked down at Harry, ‘I thought you were asleep,’ he said, leaning down to kiss him.

‘Not yet,’ Harry replied, when Severus pulled away.

‘I love you too,’ Severus said.

Harry gave Severus a beatific grin and settled onto Severus’ lap and the older man continued to read.

Harry fell asleep with a soft smile on his lips. He was where he wanted to be with someone who wanted him for him and not because of what he had done, even if he did have a few extra parts now.

 **END**


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